Siren's Call
by Kilarra
Summary: Beast Boy's been acting weird, hearing music, attacking people. But is it still Beast Boy, or has the siren's song changed him? Can the Titan's handle the jokester turned criminal and save him before he helps a half-breed siren end humanity? Can Raven?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I own something, I'll let you know.

Sirens Call

"Beast Boy, above you!' Robin was yelling again as though he didn't see the large crate falling towards his head. He knew the Boy Wonder meant well, but did he have to be so loud? Without moving, he just turned into a fly and the crate fell two inches to his right. Adonis, he hated that guy. Everyone had their personal villain who they really, _really_ didn't like. Robin had Slade, Cyborg had Brother Blood, Raven had her dad, Dr. Light, her ex, Slade, but not to the same extent as Robin, pretty much any one who was on her bad list, but he thought those were the main ones, and Starfire had… the dude they happened to be fighting? She didn't tend to "not like" someone unless they came between her and Robin. A true crime against humanity if he'd ever heard one. Well, the point was that he really didn't like Adonis. Maybe it was the whole beast thing, that they had turned into the same type of thingy, that he attacked Raven, whatever, maybe he just rubbed BB the wrong way. Regardless, despite his normal, juvenile banter that he found annoyed people to no extent, he was really quite… annoyed himself.

The next crate clipped him on the temple as it flew past to meet Cyborg's Sonic Cannon. Debris rained down, a plank landing flatly on his head. Today was just a bad day. Suddenly, there was a blaring sound ringing in his ears, load, but strangely calming. It lasted half a second before Beast Boy found himself on his butt three steps closer to the Pacific. Despite the thick walls of the ware house, they were at the docks, so the salty smell was strong in his nostrils. He shook his head sharply to clear it, blinking in confusion. That had been happening a lot. Most of the Team figured he was just trying to play the clown for Raven, and he had been content to leave it as such, but now he was getting worried. This was the first time it had happened during a battle.

"Hey shrimp," called Adonis, holding a large, stone statue above his head, ready to use it to club Starfire out of the air. "Do you miss home? A shrimp like you really should just swim away." BB sighed, pushing himself up as the alien princess flew past him. Robin yelled her name, running to her side, but she'd had worse. Normally, he would just put up with this kind of thing, perhaps even throw something clever back. Not today though, he had better things to do today than play 'who can make the least intelligent comment' with the red suited dude. He needed to be somewhere. The thought caught him off guard, an opportunity Adonis took to use the same statue to bat Raven into him, sending them both into the wall. His vision went white for a second.

Raven," he gasped as she used his sternum to push herself up. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she spat back, taking flight or levitation or whatever. "The question is, are _you_ ok? If you don't wake up, you're going to get us all killed." Said in her usual cod monotone, they still stung. Most words from Raven's lips did. He winced as he got up, closing his eyes to try and focus, something that had been eluding him for weeks.

"Nice one, looks like you hit a nerve," congratulated Adonis as he blocked the telekinetic blades Raven shot at him. "I always did like 'em feisty." He said the comment to Raven, but was staring at the changeling, gloating.

"Enough," said a voice in his head. His eyes snapped open, meeting Adonis' in a glare far sharper than he thought he was capable of. The Team froze, shocked as Adonis. His lips curled in an almost feral way, smirking. Beast Boy didn't smirk, he'd never smirked before. Before anyone could blink, he'd turned into a pchycephalosaurs and was running at Adonis. The man didn't even register what was happening before the hard head impacted, strong enough to crack a T-Rex thigh bone. Metal crimpled like aluminum foil, then split. For once in his life the villain was actually glad for his thin build as the chest plate of his suit curled in, the sharp edges threatening to slice him in two. He fell back, lay there for a moment, then tried to climb out of his destroyed suit. That didn't work so well, but he still had his pried, sort of.

"Is that all you've got?" His taunting voice was so loud, it hurt. The sea salt was searing his nose, his vision sharply black and white, every detail bold as a thick, black line on white paper. The taste of lunch's tofu was still strong in his mouth, as was the taste of Adonis's unspoken fear in the air. Every one's heart was fast as a result of battle, pulsing around him, ringing in his ears. Suddenly, he came back into himself and the sensation faded, though the feral smirk remained as he regarded Adonis.

"You have no idea what I've got," he hissed, standing above the man's slim form.

"Whoa, BB," Cyborg finally managed to say, stunned to be perfectly franc. If it weren't for the green skin, he might have thought it was a different changeling. He had never seen Beast Boy like that, well, that wasn't entirely true, there had been that one time…

"You seem very…passionate today," commented Starfire, hovering around Robin's shoulder. She, too, was rather surprised. Robin had taken people down with one hit, as had she and Cyborg. Raven could do it with one look, but Beast Boy? He was rarely if ever that intense in battle.

"Ok, Team," Robin said after staring at the green Titan for a long moment. "Good job, lets get this criminal back to prison then head home. Beast Boy, we need to talk." The boy just shrugged and got out of Cyborg's way as he started getting Adonis from his suit. He could feel the eyes of the other Titans on him, but couldn't understand their concern. He'd just taken down Adonis, wasn't that a good thing? Maybe he had something in his hair. Absently, he ran his hands over his scalp, then down his face. There, a single, green hair that he had missed that morning. It wasn't much, but he knew how shocked they would be if they found out he was shaving. As far as they knew, he was still prepubescent at 16, so a lone, dark green hair on his chin must be shocking. He caught Raven staring and gave her a goofy grin, gesturing to the hair.

"A hair," he said simply. Yes, she looked very shocked as she stared into his emerald eyes. He could understand, a hair was quite shocking, especially on his chin, where few expected to see a hair. She scowled at him, then left. He followed her with his eyes and, after a moment, realized that the Team was leaving him.

"BB, you coming?" Cyborg's voice seemed strangely distorted and far away as he called over the shoulder not sporting Adonis. Cocking his head to the side, he scampered after, a dull singing beginning to fill his ears as he approached the sea. The closer he got the loader it got, pulling him like a tether behind a boat. "Yo, B! What are you doing? The car's this way, grass stain!"

"So… pretty," he managed, his feet taking him to the edge of the docks. There, he stopped, teetering as his brain tried to understand, make sense of the song. Why was he drawn to it? For a moment, those things seemed important, but they faded into the song quickly, leaving him to do what he must. He began to step off the wood and into the sea.

"Beast Boy!" Cyborg's voice, loud as an explosion, didn't even register in his mind as the ground disappeared from beneath him. An insane grin curved his lips as he listened to the song, the promise of finding its source ridiculously exciting. But the water never touched him; he thrashed and screamed and begged, but something was pulling him away from the edge, back towards the concrete of the road. Slowly, mournfully, the song faded, leaving him strangely empty, alone, sad. Then things started to come back to him, like who and where he was, the battle before, the sound of his friends voices. As the song left his ears, his senses returned. Black energy was surrounding his torso, holding him about three feet above the ground as it pulled him towards the T-Car.

"Raven?" His voice was small, confused as he glanced from her to the dock he had just tried to jump off of 30 feet away, then back to her. Her eyes were cold, calculating as they board into his. She didn't let him down. "Cyborg?" His gaze moved to his best friend, who looked as confused as he felt. "What just happened?"

"What just happened?" Robin answered before Cyborg could open his mouth. "What just happened is you tried to jump into the Pacific Ocean for no reason! What is wrong with you!"

"Robin, perhaps friend Beast Boy would be more at ease if you did not yell at him," squeaked Starfire, visibly shaken. Normally, they would all have blown this off as one of his bizarrely planned out pranks, but he had been acting strangely for weeks and even creepy when they had first arrived at the docks. It was simply not natural. And when you hear something like that coming from a group including a circus freak, alien, half robot, and half demon, you know it's bad. Beast Boy was blinking slowly, his mind still sluggish.

"I'm… sorry?" he tried, staring at Robin as Raven continued to levitate him. "I just… the music." How was he supposed to explain a feeling, a tugging, that he didn't understand himself? "It was… I couldn't… it made sense at the time."

"Oh, I'm sure it did," spat Robin, seething despite Starfire's words. "Because it always makes perfect sense to randomly jump into the ocean because you hear music." Beast Boy couldn't get mad at him, after all, underneath all the angry yelling, he could hear the concern, the high note of worry audible in his voice. It made him feel guilty, hanging his head like a child being scolded as Robin gave him a speech that he wasn't really listening to.

"Robin," Raven snapped after two minutes of this, speaking up for the first time since she's levitated Beast Boy to the car, forcing a fragile silence onto the teen. "We need to get him back to the Tower if we want to run any tests." Her voice was monotone as usual, her stare cold, her words blunt. Robin bit back a retort, jumped onto his R-Cycle, and just drove off, a rather distressed Starfire trailing behind.

"Um," piped up Beast Boy in an attempt to lighten the heavy mood that had fallen around the remaining three Titans. "Can you let me down?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Hello! I hope that you are enjoying the fiction and are eagerly awaiting updates. As a new author, nothing makes me happier than to see the number of people reading my work rising and I greatly appreciate your even stopping by. If you have a moment and wish to review, that would be wonderful as I am looking forward to some feed back and constructive criticism. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Teen Titans, but I'm working on it.**

Chapter 2

There he was, again, sitting in the infirmary, in that strange chair that curved up over his head, Cyborg staring at the various monitors on the screen, Robin giving him that calculating look, and the girls just sort of there, concerned. Of cores, things were quite a bit different from the last time he was in this chair. Raven was conscious for one, staring coldly at him, and no one thought he had tried to hurt her. No one was threatening to put him in jail or contain him in some way. He felt different too; he did feel anxious, but not aggressive, territorial, feral. Truth be told, he didn't feel any different from yesterday or the day before. Granted, he did feel irrationally pulled towards the ocean, a little distant, but that wasn't something to be worried about. Was it?

"He looks normal," Cyborg was saying, typing on the key board in front of him and pulling up a scan of BB's brain. He looked over at his cybernetic friend curiously, his trade mark grin splitting his face.

"See! Told you!" he cried gleefully, bounding out of the chair to go rub it into Raven's face that she had been worried. She hadn't said anything about it, which was how he knew. Raven hadn't said a word to him since the battle, but had instead told Cyborg to drive back to the Tower with both her and Beast Boy in the car. As usual, she gave no reason and Cyborg had made no argument. Beast Boy had spent the entire ride making hollow jokes in an equally hollow attempt to lift the grim expressions from his friends' faces. As demonstrated by the lack of response to his bright comment, he had yet to succeed.

"But he wasn't acting normal," said Robin bluntly, his hands folded across his chest, his eyes following Beast Boy as he pranced about the room as if to defy the comment. "You say him back at the docks; he was acting the same way as when he was exposed to the chemicals."

"I know that, Rob," snapped Cyborg, halting Beast Boys dance mid stride. He was really worried, it showed in his voice. "But there is nothing physically wrong with him, no trace of chemicals, no abnormal mutations, no break downs in his genetic code, nothing but some slightly dilated capillaries in his brain!"

"But there has to be _something_ wrong! People don't just decide to randomly jump into the ocean and then start mumbling about music!" Beast Boy's ears drooped at that, his shoulders sagging. He knew that Robin was just fussing over him, he did have a tendency to do that, especially with him and Starfire since he didn't believe they were quite capable of taking care of themselves. Beast Boy had to admit that he was rather ropy and small and young and did get knocked around a lot, but still… did he have to be looking for something to be wrong with him? "He was hallucinating! That's not a normal thing to do." His voice was calm, making it hurt even more.

"Don't you think I know that," Cyborg's voice was loud and angry, a sharp contrast to Robin's as he attacked the keyboard again. "But, I'm telling you, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG!"

"Calm down." Raven's voice was not loud, but it carried across the room like a soprano above the sound of an orchestra. The room fell silent, all eyes (except Beast Boy's, which were glued to the floor, a blush heating his face at being the cause of such an argument), suddenly on the dark figure standing almost directly behind Cyborg. "Has anyone thought to ask Beast Boy what's wrong? I'm sure he has some idea, or do you all honestly believe he's as stupid as he looks?" Robin and Cyborg flinched, guilt working its way into their faces. They had been so caught up in finding out what was wrong with their friend that they had completely forgotten to ask him about it. Hell, Robin hadn't even noticed Starfire's nervous fidgeting about two feet to his left. Slowly, all eyes moved to Beast Boy, who seemed to be kicking at an imaginary something with his right foot, his ears still drooping slightly. Tension was building in the room, almost tangible in the air, the silence like a tight wire ready to snap.

"So," breathed Robin, releasing some, but not a lot, of the tightness in the air. "Beast Boy…" For once, the fearless leader was at a loss for words. Now that he thought about it, he had over reacted a bit. OK, more than a bit, but that Beast inside of his small, almost frail, green friend scared him to into new realms of fantasy. And that was not an easy thing to do. "Do you have… anything to say?" Lame. But at least he had a decent excuse; a scolding from Raven could make anyone meek and he was no exception.

"I, uh, don't know," Beast Boy muttered, not breaking eye contact with the floor as though he were determined not to loose some sort of bizarre staring contest. "I haven't turned into a fish in a while." No one looked like they had a clue what he was saying, he didn't quite look like he knew what he was saying, but none questioned the explanation. At least, not out loud. "And, I'm kinda tired, so maybe I dozed off. Or something like that."

"Perhaps, friend Beast Boy, if you slept, you would be alright and not hear strange music any more," suggested Starfire, sounding happy to finally be able to contribute to the conversation. For half a second, Robin's lips twitched at the child like simplicity of her solution and the innocence of her tone. Reason number 2376748 he loved her. Then again, it was always a mistake to underestimate Starfire, and more often then not, her solutions were the easiest and most affective. He nodded his agreement, causing the alien to smile brightly, shattering the awkward mood to everyone's relief. Beast Boy actually grinned, his ears perking up and his eyes finally leaving the dull grey floor.

"Yeah, that sounds like it'll work! I do feel really tired!" He stretched, not sure if he was happy to be leaving the tight, examination room or just glad to be doing something. True, he loved to be the center of attention, but that didn't mean he liked being under a microscope. It made him feel to much like a… well, an animal; irrational, maybe, but it was just how he felt. And it made sense to him, after all, people didn't put other people under microscopes in the same way they would put an animal under one. Not while they still were people, anyway. "Night," he yawned, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes for emphasis as he bounded from the room a little too energetically.

"He seems quite awake," observed Starfire, blinking after him as she hovered at Robin's shoulder, still glad to have been helpful.

"He just doesn't like the way it smells in here," explained Cyborg, staring at the door as though he could see his green friend retreating to his bed through the thick titanium. "Says it reeks of medicine and vomit from all the times we were sick in here." He didn't mention the blood, but Cyborg had recognized that squeamish look on his face when BB had told him, and the way he kept looking at the medical bed then tearing his eyes away. Beast Boy never really liked blood.

"Hey, Rae," Cyborg continued before the awkward silence could fall on them like a suffocating layer of dust and snuff out any hope of conversation. "You all right? You've been kinda quiet." Raven sighed, tolerating the comment only because it was Cyborg and she knew he was just concerned. The fact that she was always quiet probably didn't really occur to him at the moment.

"Crazy day, I think I'll turn in too," she said in her monotone, her eyes carefully avoiding Robin's. Unlike her other friends, Robin always knew when she was telling a half truth or just lying through her teeth. But unlike her other friends, Robin didn't know when to just give up. That was what made him such a great leader, but it also created unpleasant situations in times like these.

"If you sense anything weird from Beast Boy, you should come and tell us. It might be important." Even without eye contact, he still knew. Silently, she cursed the bond between them, her violet eyes meeting his masked ones sharply.

"I'm always sensing something weird from Beast Boy," she said coldly, halting her progress towards the doors.

"You know what I mean," Robin replied, equally cold, his will grinding against hers.

"I'm not going to report every emotional spike I sense from Beast Boy to you. I do have some respect for his privacy, you know."

"Raven, this is different. You know as well as I do what could be happening to him… again."

"Yes, I do Robin, but that still doesn't give me any right to go digging around in his head. Nor does it give you the right to ask me to."

"I am the leader of this Team, and as such I have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to protect it."

"From Beast Boy?" Her cold remark struck a rather sensitive nerve. He wasn't proud of the way he had jumped to conclusions when "the Beast" was first unleashed, but his pride would not allow him to back down. Not an often occurrence, true, but the other Titans knew that when two people with a desperate need to be in control fought, it was quite a scene that could only be described as funny and scary at the same time. Needless to say, neither Cyborg nor Starfire were emotionally ready for this kind of battle, but Raven looked like she was more than ready to blow something up if she was told to calm down. So Starfire elected to place a comforting hand on Robin's arm, causing him to bite back his retort. Raven noticed his silence, and took the opportunity to finish the argument. "I will not purposefully invade Beast Boy's mind. That would be hypocritical; however," Robin, who had opened his mouth to press the importance of knowing whether or not Beast Boy was on the verge of another unwanted transformation, closed it to let Raven continue. "If I notice anything that I deem important enough to report, I will do so. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to meditate before I sleep."

Beast Boy had made it to his room, but couldn't make it to his bed to save his life. His legs just wouldn't stop moving, his mind wouldn't stop working. What was happening to him? He wanted to believe his excuse, really, he did, but even he wasn't that gullible Just because he hadn't been in a certain shape for a while didn't mean that he suddenly started to get strange cravings that could be associated with that shape. And he had slept like a baby last night, getting a good 13 hours. Perhaps he was just groggy, tired from getting to much sleep. That could be it.

But that couldn't be the only thing… it wasn't the only thing. There was something in his head, a voice almost. Before there was only the presence, like alien fingers on the edge of his thoughts, prodding them curiously. Now, it was like there was an actual person behind the fingers, clawing at his brain; an actual will driving them. And there were yellow eyes in the back of his head, urging him to the water, to a place not far away… pulling him to their owner. He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear it. That wasn't possible, he'd seen some weird stuff in his life, Raven being one of the more exotic, and she had never mentioned having the ability to pull people to her, so it must be impossible. Satisfied with his answerer, he moved to his window top try and open it. Salt water had always helped him calm down, and the sound of the waves against the rocky shore of Titans Island was like an old lullaby from a place just beyond his memory.

The window was barely cracked when it music came to his ears, the smell of salt filling his nostrils, tickling them with its strength. This was what he needed, just some R&R. All that saving the world was hard, so he guessed that it was perfectly natural to get a little stressed out from time to time. He pushed it all the way open, letting the breeze play with his messy green hair as he leaned his head out to take in the scene. The moonlight was dancing across the broken mirror surface of the water, like Terpsichore on a silver stage. Beast Boy could almost make out her figure on the waves, her body swaying to the unearthly singing that teased his ears, luring him in with the promise of beauty. There were no words, only notes on the wind, beckoning him. He had to go, had to find the owner of this amazing voice. Maybe she would sing for him if he found her, when he found her. He found himself perched on the window sill, but found it hard to care. No one would miss him for one night, he could go out and follow the song until tomorrow night and no one would care. And if anything weird happened, he could go talk to Raven, she was good with that kind of stuff. The music was fading, retreating into the wind and without any hesitation, he followed it.

**Authors Note Cont: Ya, chapter 2! In case you were wondering, Terpsichore is the Greek Muse of dance. Hint, hint.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: I just want to let you all know that this is irregular. I do not usually write so quickly and updates may slow down. I'm sorry, but I've found that if one tries to rush their Muse, then the Muse will give one a small burst of creativity, then just leave for a while. Like wise, when the Muse gives you inspiration, it is bad to ignore it. Thank you for all the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing.**

Chapter 3

His head hurt… a lot. His eyes stung with salt and water stood in his ears, pressing painfully against his ear drum. He was wet, but some of the salt had begun to crystallize on his skin, sapping the moisture from it. Gingerly, he pushed himself up, rubbing his pounding hand with a wet, gloved hand. What happened? The last thing he remembered was opening his window for some fresh air and hearing that crazy music again. Now he was laying on a particularly uncomfortable rock somewhere on the West side of Titans Island, soaking wet, with a strange craving to go out and swim. If his _wetness_ was any indication, he had already done that, so maybe he should just call it a day and go sleep in his bead. He was really tired.

"Hold it Gar!" he yelled at himself as he stood up, throwing his arms out in front of him as if to catch an invisible wall speeding at him. "You're outside of the tower, soaking wet, and have no clue how you got here! Doesn't this qualify as slightly strange at least?" Beast Boy, thought about it for a moment, the gears in his brain turning abnormally slow, probably flooded with salt water and rusted by fatigue and disuse. He wasn't stupid, but simply found no reason to exert himself when he knew people would give him the answer if he pouted for long enough. Yes, this situation could be considered slightly strange, even by super hero standards. Hadn't he promised himself that he would go see Raven if something like this happened? No, that was only if something weird happened, and he had been known to sleep walk before.

'Only to the refrigerator or couch,' a voice in his head pointed out, causing him to frown slightly. True, but he could have taken up swimming in his sleep. Yeah… not likely, but still perfectly possible, right? 'Right' He snorted at the voices resemblance to Raven.

'Isn't it enough that I'm always thinking about you? Do you have to be in my head too?' Beast Boy was only mildly surprised that he was answering "The Voices" as he started walking towards the front door. He couldn't help it, not when it was almost like talking to Raven. They never did that, at least, not on a regular basis, and when they did talk it was never for a long time.

'You do realize that it's only a little past dawn?' He frowned dramatically, partially because she had completely ignored his sentimental statement, and partially because she was right, as usual. The sun was just above the horizon, strangely red, staining the world with crimson as it reflected off the ocean's surface. His eyes moved up to the glace paned surface of Titans Tower, each shining with ruby light bright enough to hurt his eyes, forcing him to look away sharply. After a few seconds of blinking to clear the shadows from his vision, he looked back, his eyes immediately finding the dark spot that was his window. Funny, shouldn't the glass be reflecting the dawn light too? Or had he opened his window last night? Was that how he got out to begin with? Well, if that was how he'd gotten out, then why not go back in the same way? He found no reason why not, so he morphed into a seagull and took flight.

The next thing he knew, he was back in the ocean treading water about 20 feet away from the shore, back in human form. "Wha…" he said out loud, spitting saltwater out of his mouth and making a face. For some reason, he could taste the things beneath the salt, the fish blood and seaweed and dirt. They were far sharper than usual, difficult to ignore, and rather disgusting. Frowning, he swam back to shore and tried again. The second his form began to shift, he felt the water pulling him, tempting him with promises he couldn't quite make out. He clenched his jaw… beak, fighting the urge to just fly out to sea. Instead, he forced himself into the air, focusing harder than he ever had in his entire life on getting to the open window. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. There wasn't any physical pain, more like an emotional loss, like being pulled away from something very important but he couldn't quite understand what. He couldn't understand this feeling, like he needed to be going somewhere but wasn't. Where? Where was he supposed to go?

He landed on the window sill, teetered a bit, then fell into his messy room, panting from an exhaustion that didn't make sense. Slowly, he inched along the wall, away from the opening, trying to push himself up. Yellow eyes snapped open in his mind, silted pupils boring into his sole. Pain exploded in his head and ears as a horrible screeching filled the room. He grabbed his head, biting back a cry and crumpling to his knees again. It was like the song he kept hearing, but twisted and angry… with him. Yes, it was angry with him for…what? _'You didn't come!' _ a voice, not his or the Raven-like one, but still familiar in some way. _'Return to me!'_ Then it stopped, leaving him panting and drenched in sweat and sea water. The Yellow eyes closed, reseeding to the back of his mind. Well, if that didn't qualify as weird, he didn't know what did. He needed to go see Raven, regardless of what time it was.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Had he been in any other mood besides scared out of his pants, he would have been amused at the similarity between the Raven in his head and the one staring daggers at him from the crack in the door.

"4:30 in the morning?" He was digging his toe into the floor behind him, nervous beyond all reason. It wasn't just that she was more likely to throw him out the window than listen to him; there were a billion other reasons. The most prominent being that he was planning on asking her to go into his head and find out what was wrong with him. But there was another, not-so-small voice, blushing like crazy at the idea of spending any time alone with her and stuttering like a child who had broken a vase. "But Raven-"

"Go away, I'm meditating," she hissed, trying to close the door. Beast Boy thrust his hand into the crack, forcing it all the way open. "What do you think you're doing?" Raven looked ready to kill, her violet eyes seeking his emerald ones. He refused to meet her gaze, he couldn't, the yellow eyes were to close to the surface, very close to opening. She sensed something, perhaps the presence in his mind, and slid one pale grey hand beneath his chin, forcing his face up, though his eyes still refused to meet hers. "Beast Boy, why are you here?" Her voice wasn't soft, or warm, but not sharp like it had been before.

"I-I need your help," he managed to get out, blinking furiously, his eyes darting anywhere they could find that wasn't hers. Though her face remained smooth, blank as a white sheet of paper, he could tell she was concerned. He could always tell.

"Come in," Raven said flatly after a few seconds. He started at her voice, and almost fell over backwards at the sensation of her hand gripping his elbow. "Unless you'd rather continue feeding the puddle you've made at my door. He turned scarlet at that, glancing down at his shivering, dripping, salty form. She took the chance to pull him into her room and close the door, grabbing a spare cloak from her closet and throwing it at him. "If you drip on my carpet, I'll kill you." He didn't doubt it, she'd threatened to do worse to him before, and carried them out. Not pleasant, but more often then not, he had deserved it. He would never admit it, but he was aware of when he had gone to far, and always let her catch him after such a stunt. Regardless of the painful punishments that followed, it was always worth the tiniest twitch he saw at the corners of her mouth before she started to hunt him. He could tell when she was trying not to smile too.

"Right," Beast Boy said, scrubbing his hair fervently with the cloak. "Thanks."

"You're going to wash that later," she stated bluntly, gesturing to her bed. He went to sit down, received a glare, and but the dry part of the cloak onto the blanket and then sat down. She followed suit, letting her hood down and staring at him. He was still avoiding her gaze, fidgeting uncomfortably. He hadn't been in her room since he and Cy had accidentally been pulled into Nevermore and that had been… memorable. Not memorable in a bad way, he had learned a lot about Raven that day, and had become all the more determined to make her laugh, but there had been some seriously scary stuff in her head. Her father stuck out as near the top of his list, even more so now that they had met in person. "Uncomfortable," she asked, noticing his anxiety. He nodded sharply, then opened his mouth to take it back, his eyes wide at the possible reactions she could have. And he couldn't afford to get thrown out. But she held up a hand to silence him. "I understand, it's not quite as homey as your room or the living room. But I assume you'd rather do this in private."

"Yeah," he said, attempting to grin, but failing miserably, his features twisting into more of a grimace. This was rather personal, it was actually really personal. Yellow eyes in his head, not exactly a walk in the park. Robin would probably have kittens if he found out. And the singing… if anything that had gotten worse since yesterday. And then there was the media. If they found out that one of the Titans was hallucinating, they'd be all over it like a pack of starved hyenas. No, he would see if Raven could fix it, quietly, privately. "Are you always up this early?"

"Is that what you 'need' me for? To tell you what time I got up at?"

"No, I just thought we could talk a bit before-"

"Before you ask me to go into your head," she finished, never moving her gaze from his bright green eyes. "So you're just stalling for time."

"I'm sorry to ask you to do this Raven, but… I don't know what else to do."

"Robin already asked me to do the same thing. I was just waiting for your consent." Beast Boy's eyebrows raised slightly, a slight look of disbelief coming into his eyes. "Surprised?"

"Yeah," he replied truthfully, swinging his legs rhythmically… to rhythmically. "I mean, I saw Robin back in the infirmary, and he was pretty freaked out. I can't imagine that he would have just said 'Well, if Raven doesn't want to, I guess I can't make her! So lets all go have ice cream!' That just seems so…" he trailed off, glancing up at her for the first time, then looked away before her eyes found his.

"Anti-Robin," she offered, thoroughly shocked to find herself trying to make Beast Boy feel comfortable in her room.

"Yeah." He nodded his head sharply, his wetness creating a large ring on her deep blue cloak. It would soak through to her sheets soon. Silence descended between them, as it had back in the infirmary, thin and brittle. And in that silence, he could hear music in his head.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Raven's voice pulled him back into reality like a dart thrown at a balloon. "Like why you're so obsessed with the sea all of a sudden?" He blinked a few times to clear his vision and found himself staring at Raven's window longingly.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't realize,"

"I know." Beast Boy looked quite confused by this. How could she know that he didn't know? Wait, that was confusing. She know that he knew that she couldn't know that he didn't know? His head hurt. "You broadcast your emotions loud enough for any telepath and gypsy within 5 miles of you could hear them." He bit his lip, chewing it for a second, flushing slightly.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, almost too quietly to hear. That blindsided her, throwing her off guard for half a second. In that moment, she felt his sincerity slipping through her mental walls. "It must be hard for you, always having to know what I'm feeling. I think I'd go crazy if there was someone else in my head."

"I can put up a barrier around my mind so that doesn't happen. You're not in my head." He looked both relieved and hurt by her words, but she ignored it. They'd spent enough time talking. "So you're going to have to just tell me what's wrong."

"I can't explain it." He was struggling to get the words out, almost as though it was some type of physical challenge. "It's like, I hear this music and… I have to follow it, like I have no choice." His voice faltered, as though caught in his throat. Beast Boy swallowed and closed his eyes as Yellow ones opened in his mind. "And I don't want one, Raven, that's what scares me." That's when he looked at her, his emerald eyes snapping open to gaze pleadingly into her violet ones. His emotions hit her like a brick wall, but she didn't break eye contact. Confusion. Need. Desperation. Loneliness. There was something underneath these emotions though, something not-Beast Boy.

"So, why do you need me? Sounds like you already know what's wrong, so why don't you go tell this to Cyborg?" She broke eye contact before Beast Boy pulled her too far into his mind. She had to be in control of the link, if they even established one today, or risk becoming a part of him. If she just let his consciousness envelope hers, she might never be able to separate them again. Not something she wanted to experience, especially not with Beast Boy.

"If you need a reason for me to come to you and ask for help," he said sharply, the slightest hint of bitterness in his voice as he pushed himself to his feat, his body swaying dangerously for a moment.. "Then maybe you should consider the fact that I woke up this morning on the shore, drenched in salt water with no clue how I got there. And that when I tried to fly up to my room, I just found myself back in the ocean." He took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax a little before continuing. "Raven, Rae," he used her nick-name, grabbing her full attention the second the sounds left his mouth. "Cyborg can't go into my head and see what's wrong with me. He can't explain the music or this pulling thing or my lack of memory and reason. You can. So I'm asking you to help me, just this once. I know you don't want to be inside my head, but I really, _really_ need you." He resembled a child begging for help with their two days late homework. Raven sighed in defeat, gesturing to the soaked cloak to her left. Beast Boy sat down again, looking embarrassed by his outburst.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try to find out the reason for all of this." Beast Boy nodded his thanks, too focused on her fingertips on his temples to say anything. "I'm probably going to regret this," she muttered, then slid into his mind.

_He was swimming. The water was cold, and salty against his scales, but the fish didn't care. It was used to such things; after all, it was a fish. How long had it been since he had hit the water and taken off as fast as he could swim? How long had it been since he had realized that it would be smart to turn into a fish before he drowned himself? How long had it been since the music started? That didn't seem particularly important at the moment, but he couldn't help but wonder. All that mattered was finding the source of the song, which had been getting louder ever since he had opened his window. He was close._

_He wasn't too deep, maybe 20 feet, but he felt the pressure like it was 10,000. Every nerve in his body was tingling, every sense heightened, increased in sensitivity 10 fold, even as a fish, he could feel the change, the flood of energy and strength, the sound waves shooting through the water to swirl about his body, the driving need to reach his destination. The music was feeding him, enticing him to follow its call, and he responded readily. His muscles were beginning to ache even as he shifted into a new form, he didn't care which one, forcing himself on_

'_On to where?' A tiny voice had awoken inside of him, forcing its question into his conscious, if you could call it that, mind. Try as he might, he couldn't push it away, couldn't forget those three little words. _

'_Not important,' answered another, almost feral in nature, its voice a mere growl. 'Music. Follow. Find. Need. Follow. Voice.'_

'_Follow to where,' the little voice asked innocently, genuinely confused by the others desperation._

'_Need. Follow. Song. Find.' Was all the other would say, forcing the body forward._

'_To where?'_

"_To me," a new voice said soothingly. The song stopped and he almost cried out in remorse, but he had no vocal cords. There was a shape up ahead, a type of giant bubble, shining golden in the gloom of the night water. A woman sat inside it, her hands and feet three toed talons, their scales running up to her elbows and knees, her eyes yellow and her pupils slits of black. Her skin looked as though it had once been darkened by the sun, but long since bleached by the dark depths of the ocean. Long, dusty brown hair fell all around her, pooling at her feet as she stood, her scalp dotted by long sparrow feathers that stuck out at odd angles. "You didn't drown," she observed in a mesmerizing voice, holding him spell bound as when she sang. "I've been waiting for you, but I fear I am not yet ready." She placed one bird-like hand on the transparent wall between them. "Return to me." _

**Author's Note Cont: Wow, longer than I expected, but that's my Muse for you. Feel free to guesses as to who this woman is, but you won't find out if you're right until later. I'm not sure how much later, but what fun is a mystery if you're not allowed to guess who did it!**


	4. Chapter 4

A**uthor's Note: I promised myself I would never do the "review black-mail", and I will hold to that. But I am feeling slightly under appreciated here (that's my severely deflated ego talking) and unloved. Please, I implore you, pick my writing apart! There must be something you don't like; I want to know what it is! And 'your story sux' doesn't count, I want specifics! Anything I can, I will fix, so please let me know! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Wow, it is far more difficult than I thought to come up with creative ways to say that I don't own Teen Titans. **

Chapter 4

Things had been going fine up until that point. True, she _was_ in Beast Boy's head, but at least there wasn't some kind of strange incarnation of him trying to tell her joked. A part of her was actually sad to find it so… empty. She had been expecting something, well, not what she found, something far from what she found. Perhaps a distorted version of the Tower, a shrine to tofu, even a bunch of jumbled and unclear images, disjointed thoughts, and half formed jokes. This was Beast Boy's mind, after all, how organized could it be? Obviously, quite a bit more so than she had thought, the proof was her absolute surprise upon entry. What she found was a type of long, black hall lined with doors, each a different color and design. It never ended, regardless of how far she followed it, though she did notice that the doors were beginning to repeat after a few minutes of walking. At first she thought it was silent, not even the echo of her footsteps there to keep her company. But as soon as she stopped listening, sounds began to drift into her ears.

They were faint at first, just a few stray notes that silenced as soon as she began to focus on them. Then the song began to drift through the darkness, flowing like water and dancing like wind. Raven found it to be quite beautiful, though it wasn't quite her style, the raw emotion of it threatening to bring tears to her eyes. Loneliness, terrible loneliness spread across thousands of years; pain beyond her comprehension, and rage deep as her own on a bad day. The strange part was, the music wasn't Beast Boy's style either, and these emotions were far too ancient and heavy to be his. And the voice was female. She stopped, blinking at this new bit of information and its possible explanations. A voice from his past? He'd never talked much about his past, just some vague mention of Africa. A lullaby he'd heard on the radio that was just stuck in his head? Unlikely, he didn't listen to this type of music, and that didn't explain its elusive nature. Maybe this was the song he had been babbling about, the music that called to him. If that was the case, then she needed to find its source, find some way to stop it. Beast Boy had asked her here to help and that was what she planned on doing.

"Raven?" A small voice shattered the metronome of the song in his head, forcing it back into the nothingness it had arisen from. She blinked, surprised to find herself not moving, standing like some kind of idiot and looking around as though half asleep. "Is that you?" The dark teen turned slowly, expecting, once again, something quite different from what she found. Black eyes blinked down at her from above a wicked beak, the green raven seeming to fidget uncomfortably on its perch above one of the many doors. The raven seemed rather relieved to see her, though it was difficult to tell what those cold raptor-like eyes held. "You don't recognize me, do you," the raven said, well, that might have been the wrong word. It was more of a telepathic communication than a verbal one, giving her a moment to register the owner of the voice.

"Beast Boy?" She asked tentatively, aware that she was probably on uneven footing. This was his mind; she had little to no power here unless he gave it to her.

"In the flesh! Well, sort of." Yep, definitely Beast Boy. "You got lost, I came to find you."

"Why are you a bird?" The question was sharper, more accusing, than she had intended. It had become a habit over the years, just the way things were. Raven thought he would be used to it by now, he never paid any attention to her tone before (hence the many burses obtained from flying out the window, into the wall, floor, that sort of thing.), but this raven Beast Boy looked hurt.

"To be honest, I have no clue. Same reason I found you wearing pink that one time," he said, attempting a joke. She flushed at the mention of her Starfire-like emotion, though from embarrassment or anger, she couldn't tell. "Need help," he offered after a moment of silence. Her lack of answer spoke for her, a reaction that would have curled BB's lips if he'd had them. The changeling fluttered down from his perch, landing on her left shoulder. "You're going the wrong way, turn around," he said rather flatly.

"How do you know?" Stupid question, she knew, but she had to at least try and save her pride.

"My head, and there are places here I really don't want anyone going." His feathered body was pressed against her cheek in an attempt to remain balanced, causing her to flush again for reasons beyond her comprehension.

"Get off," she hissed, shrugging her shoulders to dislodge him.

"You're going to make me fly the whole way?" He was pitiful, his winy voice in her head as he hovered in front of her face. "Come on, Rae! I'm just a bird!"

"Change into something else," she snapped, brushing past him a few steps, then turning to see if he was going to follow her. The green raven had landed, his head cocked up at her in confusion.

"I can't change form any more than you can change into a non-pink outfit. Those are the rules," he said smartly, a would-be trade-mark grin in his eyes. "Besides, you'll be stuck in here forever without my help." That got her attention. Sighing, she extended one hand for him to perch on, and he accepted the invitation, allowing them to continue.

"You're really milking the situation, aren't you?"

"Think of it as pay back for all the Garfield jokes." She never thought she'd see the day when Beast Boy would take revenge on her, but here it was. At least he wasn't half as skilled as she was in that particular art, though there were times when she wondered if the horrible jokes were some form of revenge themselves. Another silence descended between them, only interrupted by the raven's occasional instructions to turn into alleyways that she didn't know existed before. His mind was far more complex than it had first appeared to be; the tiniest thing could turn out to be incredibly significant and she was expected to just pick up on them as if they were neon signs. At the same time, everything was exactly as it seemed, no hidden meaning, secret codes, special buttons, just what you saw… once you were able to see it. That's not to say that there weren't hidden things in his mind, the doors proved that, but there was no deception.

"So, what is it that you don't want me to see?" Raven decided to break the silence before the singing started up again, figuring she might as well take the opportunity to learn a bit about him. Could come in handy one day.

"There's more than one thing you know," he said, almost bitter. "Turn here. Let's just say that my main secret concerns you and is potentially quite damaging to our relationship." Beast Boy was trying to sound smart, but the complex sentence structure he was using was actually the best joke he had ever made. She had to hold back a snort. "Besides, you're empathic, right? You probably already know."

"Well, if I already know, then there's no harm in telling me, is there?" There was no reason that this should bother her half as much as it did, but she couldn't help but be frustrated. What could she say; she was a detective at heart.

"My, my Raven, I never knew you were so nosey," he teased, shaking his feathered head. "We're her," he said, cutting off her reply and causing her to halt at a large, white marble archway. It had large pillars supporting a type of roof and was distinctly Greek in design. "I have to go now, good luck."

"Wait, you're just going to leave me?"

"She won' let me in there, if she ever even finds out I brought you…" He shuddered, looking away from the door.

"Who?" Raven asked, rather concerned as she began to step through the archway. There were only two possible reasons for his use of the pronoun: there was some kind of manifestation of emotions who had a different goal than Beast Boy, or there was someone else in his head. Neither was pleasant or healthy.

"I don't know." She tried to ask more, but her foot was already through the doorway. The darkness sucked her in before she could get the words out. Memories hit her like a brick wall. Yellow eyes snapped open, causing pain to explode in her head in the form of a terrible screech. A mockery of the beautiful song from before. She shrieked, then there was only blackness.

It was about 5:14 in the morning when Robin jerked into wakefulness. There had been a noise echoing through the walls of the Tower, barely more than a vibration in the titanium by the time it reached his room, but still loud enough to poke his sensitive ears. He wanted to roll over and just ignore the sensation, give himself two more minutes to sleep. It was only 5:14 in the morning. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) for Robin, he had been Batman's sidekick for better or worse, and his senses had been tuned to perfection, his reflexes sharpened to perfection, and his natural teenage tendencies artfully suppressed. So when the shriek echoed through Titans Tower at 5:14 AM, Robin was out of bed and in the hall in less than three seconds, trying to identify its source. The scream didn't come again, frustrating Robin's search for its source.

For about a minute, he stood still as the dead, waiting for the sound to repeat. The second he began to relax, a cry rang out, causing him to tense again. This one did repeat, a single word hysterically broadcasting itself through the winding labyrinth of corridors. Help. Robin lurched forward without hesitation, his metal tipped boots clanging loudly as he ran. Starfire would wake up as soon as he passed her door, and he sent a message to Cyborg using his communicator. Soon they would all be assembled, ready to investigate the disturbance. All but two of them… the two creating the disturbance. Beast Boy's voice was getting louder, like a broken record played at different volumes and different pitches, each one sounding more desperate from the rest. Questions raced through Robin's head fast as his feet, questions like what was wrong. Who had screamed? Why had they screamed? What had they been doing? Why on Earth was Beast Boy in Raven's room?!

He skidded to a halt, Starfire and Cyborg mere seconds behind him, equally shocked by the apparent situation and all its implications. Robin stopped just long enough to let his brain get the facts so far in order, his mind calculating at a mile a minute. Raven and Beast Boy had been doing something in Raven's room, he didn't know for how long, something had happened and Raven had screamed and was now unconscious, judging by the lack of her voice. Beast Boy was in a panic, most likely because of Raven, and probably not thinking strait. "Raven," he called, pounding on the door with one fist, then attempting to force it open. It wouldn't budge, Raven must have locked it. "Open up!"

"What's going on," demanded Cyborg, sliding to a halt by his side, Starfire already hovering to his left. His sonic cannon was ready, his face etched in stone.

"Yes, what has happened?" Under any other circumstances, Robin would have smiled simply because he had herd her voice, but now was not the time.

"Raven and Beast Boy are locked inside." Short, sweet, and to the point, allowing the Titans to take care of the situation quickly. But by the time Cyborg had charged and aimed his cannon, the door was already demolished. "Starfire, that might have been a little overkill," Robin managed, stunned. The alien princess wasn't listening; her glowing eyes were fixed on the shadows beyond the door. Beast Boy's screams, which had previously faded into background noise, hit the three standing Titans again full force. There was Raven, collapsed on the floor in front of her bed and Beast Boy, hovering over her and yelling for help like there was no tomorrow. "What happened," was all Robin managed to say.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I think updates will slow down soon since I will shortly be returning to the super-nerd organization also known as the IB or International Baccalaureate Program. Ok, so it's the PreIB program, but there you go. In other words, the teachers have promised us sophomores plenty of homework and it probably won't help that I'm taking two Jr. classes as well, so things will slow down. But I made some one a promise that I would finish this, and I intend to keep that promise. If I somehow do end up dead, then I will let you know. Until then, patience is a virtue! And constructive criticism is still welcome!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since Ch. 4, but I'm flattered to know you think I know something.**

**Chapter 5**

There he sat, again, in that strange chair in the infirmary. This time, things were quite similar to how they had been during the chemical incident. Raven was floating, unconscious on the examination table, her cloak discarded, her body healing itself. Robin was breathing down his neck, concern written all over his face, but the threat of imprisonment hiding behind his mask. Cyborg was staring at the monitors, frowning. He still didn't feel animalistic in any way, well, no more than was normal for him. If anything, he was more confused and scared than all three of the other conscious Titans put together. Medicine and sweat filled his nostrils, fear inconsistently entering the mix, overwhelming his senses.

"Please believe me, I didn't do anything," he said before Robin could get out his first question. "I just went to see if Raven could figure out what's wrong with me!"

"Beast Boy, calm down," Robin tried to sooth, frankly surprised by his friend's panicked expression. "No one is accusing you of anything. We just need to know what happened." The green changeling looked uncomfortable, fidgeting slightly in his chair. "Look, there is absolutely no way you could have done this to Raven. She's not physically hurt, just exhausted from what the scans show. I just need you to tell me why she was pushing herself so hard."

"I… went to her room," Beast Boy said, unable to make eye contact with the team's leader. "I asked her to go into my head and find out what was wrong with me."

"Why did you wait until 5 in the morning? You could have asked her right after the mission," Robin pointed out, trying to be as gentile as possible. The changeling looked rather like a deer staring into the eyes of a wolf pack.

"I… I didn't think I needed to until this morning." There was a small voice in his head, whispering to him. It spoke of hunters and betrayal, of not understanding that it wasn't his fault. The voice told him of all the reasons he should fear Robin as yellow eyes glinted in the back of his mind.

"Why," probed Robin, maintaining a safe distance from the spooked boy, trying to relay to him that he wasn't a threat. "Did you have a dream or something?"

"No dream," said Beast Boy, his eyes watching Robin as though the Boy Wonder was going to throw him in jail at any minute. Vaguely, he was aware of the yellow eyes' approval. His senses seemed to be growing sharper, or perhaps he was just overly nervous. Whatever the case, Cyborg's voice seemed unusually loud, causing him to wince.

"Rob, you'd better look at this." Robin closed his mouth and walked over to the screen where some fresh scans were being displayed. Beast Boy shivered slightly.

"What am I supposed to be seeing? Is there a problem now?" Robin's voice was impatient as he glared at the changeling's brain.

"There's still nothing wrong," said Cyborg, causing Robin to frown. "But the capillary dilation isn't as wide spread. It seems to be localized in his parietal and temporal lobes."

"Please, what does that mean," asked Starfire as she approached the screen to see for herself.

"Those particular lobes are responsible for sensory information. The parietal lobe deals with pain, temperature, taste, ect. While the temporal lobe works more with memory, hearing, perception and recognition," explained Cyborg.

"So those things are in a state of hyper sensitivity," said Robin, receiving a nod from Cyborg. Beast Boy blinked, tilting his head slightly. "Could that be why Raven passed out?"

"It could," said Cyborg thoughtfully, staring back up at the screen. "If she ran into more neural energy than she was ready for, it could have shorted out her powers. Or maybe it was just overwhelming, there is still a lot we don't know about how she can do what she does."

"Cy," whispered Beast Boy, barely audible. "Does this mean that the… the music… it's all just in my head? I'm- I'm just hallucinating?"

"I really, really hope not B," Cyborg murmured as quietly as he could, turning to face his best friend.

"Why," demanded Robin, a strange edge in his voice.

"Because if they're just hallucinations, then we're at a dead end. They're affecting his behavior in dangerous ways, and I have no idea where they're coming from. If they continue untreated, I don't know what could happen." The words were for Robin, but there was a softness to his tone meant only for Beast Boy. "They could drive him insane."

"Perhaps friend Beast Boy is merely hearing things form a ship out on the ocean," suggested Starfire, hope resonating in her voice. The others looked skeptical, but Beast Boy's face had lit up like a Christmas tree in December.

"Yeah! That could be it," he exclaimed, far louder than he had meant to. "Then all you have to do is make my brain the way it was, you know, un-dilate the thingies, and I'll be okay!" Starfire looked absolutely ecstatic, Robin kept his face carefully blank, and Cyborg just looked sad. "You can fix me, right?" Beast Boy's smile faltered slightly as he stared at his robotic friend. "I'm gonna be okay, right?"

"Sure, of course you are," said Cyborg after a moment of silence, managing a half-hearted grin. "But right now, I think you just need some rest, you look like a train wreck." Beast Boy grinned and got up, looking thoroughly pleased. "Who knows, maybe the problem will have fixed itself by tomorrow." The green boy nodded vigorously, then headed for the door as fast as dignity would allow. He really hated the way it smelled in the infirmary.

"You really believe that," asked Robin as soon as the doors were closed. Cyborg shook his head. "I don't blame you for saying it, _I_ was about ready to go over there and tell him everything would turn out alright."

"That's really something coming from you," sighed Cyborg.

"He looks... very bad. Is there nothing we can do to help?" Starfire was staring at the door, a look of concern on her face. It killed her to feel so helpless.

"The only thing we can do for him right now is figure out what's calling him." Raven's voice made everyone start, they had been quite unprepared. There she sat, her legs still out in front of her and her head held in one of her hands. She looked like she had a really bad headache.

"When did you wake up," said Cyborg, shock audible in his voice.

"Maybe five minutes ago," she replied, sliding off the table and grabbing her cloak. "But there are things Beast Boy really shouldn't hear."

"What do you mean by that," Robin said, still tensed from her sudden appearance.

"This isn't as bad as it's going to sound," warned Raven. "But if we just sit and do nothing, it could get to the point were there is nothing we'll be able to do about it."

"What happened when you went into his mind? What did you find out," probed Robin, stepping towards the empathy so he didn't miss anything. She held up a hand and the ten thousand other questions died on his tongue.

"Beast Boy came to me this morning because he woke up on the shore, drenched in sea water, with no idea how he got there. Remember what happened at the docks?" The Titans nodded. "Well, I'm pretty sure the same thing happened last night when he went to his room, except that time there was no one to stop him. Then when he tried to get back to his room, he wound up in the water again."

"Sounds like you know as much as Beast Boy does," said Cyborg, his arms folded across his chest. "What is it that you didn't want him to hear?"

"I frankly don't care if he hears this or not," Raven stated coldly. "But I found something in his mind, something bad."

"The Beast? The one that came out during the chemicals incident?" Robin was close to an internal panic now; the idea that his friend could be loosing himself to that animal again… it scared him.

"No, Robin," Raven said, trying to be patient. "This was something else, something not-Beast Boy, another presence in his mind. I'm not sure how or why it's there, but it is. And it doesn't want us to interfere with its plans."

"What plans," snarled Cyborg, going into his 'protective older brother' mode.

"I wish I knew, but it threw me out before I could do any digging." Raven rubbed her head with one hand, as if to emphasize her point.

"Do you know what 'it' is?" Robin was trying to give in to this new panic that was brewing in his stomach, but some of it leaked through into his voice. This was one situation where he had absolutely no control, and that made him uneasy. He didn't like to feel helpless.

"All I know for certain is that this thing, whatever it is, is the source of the singing he's been hearing," Raven explained, starting towards the door.

"How much influence does 'it' have over Beast Boy," He asked cautiously, unconsciously slipping back into interrogation mode. "I mean, is he still in control of himself? Or is he just doing and saying what it wants him to?"

"It's not very deeply rooted, not yet anyway," she said, throwing him a sharp glance. "Beast Boy is still in control most of the time. From what I can tell, the singing is what takes control of him, though I'm not sure if that is the right phrase, and the singer has established a foothold in his mind to watch him. So the answer to your question is no, it was Beast Boy who came to my room and asked me for help, and Beast Boy was talking to you just now."

"Could you look around in some of your books," suggested Cyborg, trying not to sound too forceful and get Raven angry. "Maybe there's something about this in one of them." The half-demon turned and nodded at him, accepting his idea, much to his delight.

"But first I need to meditate and make sure I haven't overlooked anything."

"Let us know if you find anything," Robin called after her retreating form. He rubbed his temples, trying to think, to plan. They still had the whole day in front of them, a day that promised at least one attack on the city. So what was he supposed to do with Beast Boy? They couldn't trust him to fight, not with something in his head manipulating his thoughts, but they couldn't just let him hang out around the Tower. He might just decide to get up and leave, maybe even get himself drowned, if someone wasn't watching. "I think we should all take turns guarding Beast Boy," he proposed to the only other people left in the room. Starfire nodded vigorously, but Cyborg looked unsure.

"I don't know, man," he said, staring down at Robin. "I don't want the little guy to think we don't trust him. He's kinda sensitive about that sort of thing." Robin nodded absently, thinking hard.

"We'll be discreet," he said after a moment of tensed silence. "But I don't want him alone in the Tower. We don't know what this thing wants, so we'll have to keep an eye on Beast Boy to make sure it doesn't decide to try and use him to get it." Cyborg nodded slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, but he could see no other options. This was just a bad situation overall, and he hated it with every fiber of his being. But the fact was that all they could do was watch the green Titan and hope that Raven found the answer to their problem soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: Not really my best chapter so far, but that's just me. As always, constructive criticism is welcome and I look forward to writing the next chapter. Maybe I'll talk some more there.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, but I'll keep you updated on my progress. **

Chapter 6

He was going crazy. Quite literally, actually. Beast Boy was beginning to see the ocean whenever he stared at something for to long, hear the sea, smell the salt air, and the singing was worse than ever. There were times when it was almost irresistible, at which point he would find himself moving slowly to the nearest exit. Once the yellow eyes opened, well, the singing was irresistible. But there was always someone around to stop him, someone there to bring him back to reality. He couldn't help but find that very convenient. Not that he was complaining, these weird hallucinations scared him right out of his uniform, but he when he began finding Cyborg waiting for him in his room before bed, or Starfire at the bathroom, he began to feel a little… restricted. It was also, he wasn't sure what. Beast Boy felt comforted by his friends concern, though it was driving him crazy. There was something else though, something with in him. The yellow eyes found these restrictions annoying, even infuriating.

He could tell the others were worried about those eyes too. When he would be wondering off, able to hear nothing but the song, he could still feel their tension. Sometimes, when the eyes were open in his mind, he would even snarl animalisticly at them, like a wolf held captive, trying to reach its pack. It scared him, he had no clue where he was trying to go and really didn't want to hurt anyone along the way. But, as strange as it may sound, he honestly wanted to go. One would think that he would be even more intent on staying in the Tower than Robin was to keep him there. However, Beast Boy wanted to find this voice, wanted to go wherever it wanted him to go, help this creature if he could. The song sounded so sad, so lonely. It needed him, truly, deeply, needed him. That was something he had never experienced that before and he… liked it.

The Doom Patrol had liked him, but he was dispensable, just like everyone else. That was how that group worked, not as a deeply bonded team, but as a machine that could still function without most of its limbs. The Titans liked him well enough, they were almost as close as a family, but they could get along just fine without him. He knew this, though he hated to admit it, and he knew that they were capable of turning on him; well, as capable as he was of turning on them. His parents he had never learned much about. They had died before he realized how much children meant to their parents. At the ripe age of five, he had been a bit too engrossed in his own loss to think about how much his parents wanted him to survive. Now that he was older, he knew that his he must have meant more to them than their own lives, that the truly needed him to live. But they certainly didn't need him now, the dead need nothing. No, the closest he had been to being needed by someone and realizing it was when he was with the jewel thieves. Now _they_ had needed him, but not in any type of way he wanted to be needed. He had been the perfect little helper to steal the 'Easter eggs from the Easter Bunny'. Yeah, Easter eggs. Well, look what happened to those two. No, he was knew to this whole being needed thing. This person, whoever he or she was, might even die if he didn't do something to help them. He liked that feeling.

"Yo, B!" A voice called, a bit too loudly for his tastes, jerking him from his musings. Beast Boy looked up at his cybernetic friend, grinning. "Are you ready for another butt-whopping at Super Mega Ninja Monkey? I just got the sequel" Cyborg was waving the video game under his nose as if to taunt him with food.

"Whatever!" His voice was its normal, shrill tone, his eyes sparkling emerald as he dove for the controller. "You only win because you cheat!"

"I don't cheat," said Cyborg indignantly as he bent over to insert the game.

"Dude, you so cheat!" Beast Boy was grinning wildly now, his eyes glued to the screen enthusiastically. This was the first time in a week that he had been treated normally. Seriously, he was almost missing being called a grass stain or getting tossed into the wall. Everyone was treating like he was made of thin glass and that was helping more than a little bit to his decreasing sanity.

"That's not cheating, man," Cy argued, plopping down next to him, the controller clutched in his metal hands like his still beating heart was inside and he would die if he let go. "That's skill."

"Skill my green butt!" Beast Boy shot back, eyes still fixed on the screen.

"Face it, you are going down."

"So not gonna happen!"

"Excuse me," said Robin from right behind the couch, causing both teens to jump about two feet in the air. Beast Boy even let out a short, glass breaking shriek. "Sorry to interrupt," he apologized, looking uncomfortable. "But the training course just started shooting plastic disks at the training room. Cyborg, could you take a quick look?" It wasn't quite an order, but it was definitely not a question.

"AWWWWW!" wined Beast Boy, resembling a seven year old. "Come on Rob! We just got started!!!!!"

"No," muttered Cyborg, clearly defeated and annoyed about it. "I didn't design that course to go easy on anything. It could have the training room in ruins in ten minutes if I don't get down there." Beast Boy sat pouting as he got up and left, but didn't try to stop him. It was a moment before he realized that Robin was still standing behind him.

"Is there a reason you're watching me?" He didn't mean to snap, but he couldn't help it. He was mad about loosing his play mate to a machine. Robin didn't say anything, but sniffed the air meaningfully. Beast Boy frowned.

"When was the last time you took a shower?" After a moment of contemplating the question, Beast Boy raised one arm and inhaled deeply. Clearly, the answer was a long time ago. He grinned over his shoulder, his fang poking out nervously. Robin raised one eye brow and nodded, the smallest grin playing on his lips. "Maybe you should go take one."

"Mk," he mumbled, getting up and heading towards the doors. To his surprise, Robin followed him. At first he didn't comment, merely kept walking, his eyebrows raised in an 'ooooooookkkkkkkkkk' kind of way. He was ok with being followed down the hall, even when Robin trailed him down to the bathroom, But when he began walking into the actual room with him, he had to say something. "Dude! You're freaking me out here. No offense or anything, but aren't you kind of _involved_."

"Excuse me?" Robin sounded shocked at the inference.

"You know," Beast Boy persisted, completely oblivious. "With Starfire."

"Beast Boy, what are you-"

"You're following me into the bathroom. I'm going to be taking a shower." There was a strange, 'no-duh' quality to his voice that caused Robin to frown in annoyance. "People don't take showers with their clothes on."

"Beast Boy, regardless of what you're thinking, I'm just here to make sure you don't jump out a window or something."

"Dude, it would be media suicide to put a window in our bathroom. You know how many pervert want pictures of us in showers?" Robin's frown deepened, his annoyance only increased by the dead serious expression.

"You've been doing some pretty weird stuff lately," pointed out Robin.

"And watching me shower is totally normal."

"Fine, I'll be out here. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Please," smiled Beast Boy as he slid into the bathroom. "When have I ever done anything stupid?" The door was closed and the water started before Robin could even start his list.

On the other side of the door, Beast Boy was chuckling to himself, grinning at how humiliated Robin must have been feeling. Seriously though, he was only willing to play this never being alone game so much. There were reasons he hadn't taken a shower in a week. Perhaps there were people who didn't mind being watched as the washed, but he was not among them. As far as he was concerned, anyone who wanted to stare at a showering person was a pervert and shouldn't be allowed within twenty feet of the bathroom. As soon as the water was hot enough, he slipped into the shower, relishing the heat and moisture. There was just something relaxing about a hot shower, especially after a stressful week. The water beat rhythmically against his body and the wall, like a steady pulls, steam rising to veil the room. Man, this was relaxing. He placed his hands on the wall, leaning his forehead against the tile. His eyes fell closed, his breath sliding over his lips. The water beat around him, like a steady drum… or a bass line. It was nice to be alone, if only for a moment.

Usually, he preferred to be surrounded by people, preferably laughing and having a good time. But every now and again, even he needed a break. Just some time to think, relax, listen… e could hear it, the singing. All the tension he hadn't realized he was holding left his body. His muscles relaxed into the hot water, his lungs welcoming the steam. How long had it been since he had felt water on his skin? Song filled his ears, blending with the steady beat of the droplets. Too long. He's missed it, the feel of water against him. Too long had the water surrounded him, but never touched him. Too long had he been held by the Gods. His heart beat with the water, rhythmically, pulsing to the song in his head. Too long had he been kept from the life he was born to. There was nothing but the song, it was in him, around him, his reason for existing. _She_ was there. No longer would she be held beneath the waves, no longer would she be trapped. She had found her salvation, and he would come.

Beast Boy's eyes snapped open. The song halted, its purpose fulfilled. His eyes were no longer green, or even human. Their pupils were mere slits, their yellow color contrasting sickeningly against his skin. He reached behind him, shutting of the water. Several droplets ran down his back, like fingers tracing his spine.

"Hey, Beast Boy," Robin called from outside, still annoyed. "You done?"

"Not quite yet," he called back, pushing himself up and staring coldly at the door.

"Then what's up?" For a moment, Beast Boy thought about telling him the truth, just for laughs. But no, their brave and fearless leader would insist on stopping him, and he just couldn't allow that.

"I think I want to take a bath," he proclaimed loudly, walking over to the tub and turning on the water. "I smell really bad."

"A bath? But you don't have time for that!"

"Where am I going to go? Unless you've finally decided to lift this house arrest thingy."

"Fine," Robin said after a minute, his voice slightly bitter. "Just try and get out sometime before noon to morrow."

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises," he replied in a joking tone, but his words were serious. "Do you plan on standing guard at the door the whole time?" He heard an exasperated sigh and footsteps. As the sound faded, Beast Boy grinned triumphantly, slipping into the hot water. He would have loved to have just sat there for hours on end, maybe even take a nap like he usually did when he made it into the bath tub. But there was no time for that now. He had somewhere he needed to be and was finally going. There were plenty of creatures who could navigate the Titans water pipes, animals that could find their way out of the Tower easily and quickly. Plenty of animals that could fit through the drain in the sink. As soon as he was sure that Robin was far enough away from the bathroom that his pathetic human ears wouldn't hear the splash as he got out of the tub and made his way to the sink. After one quick look at his reflection, he shifted and was gone. The rest of the Titans all thought he was far from the cold waters of the Pacific, safe and clean in their bathroom. Too bad they were wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I can't begin to tell you how ecstatic I am at how much people seem to be enjoying this fiction! It warms my heart and gives me a happy fuzzy feeling inside. I promise to continue doing my best and try very hard not to let anyone down. Recently, I received a review stating that Sirens were half fish- half human. This is an incorrect, though entirely understandable, assumption. The Sirens were usually portrayed as sparrow-like birds with women's faces or like mermaids, but half bird. They later began to appear as the 'mermaids', but this was their original form. Some background in Greek mythology will be necessary to understanding upcoming chapters, but I will do my best to explain everything. Ya! Go long pointless rants! Now here's the Disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: As is probably expected, I'm going to tell you that I own nothing. But hopefully I'll be able to surprise you some day. **_**Now**_** here's the chapter! **

Chapter 7

Raven was frustrated. That was the true and simple fact, one of the most deeply honest statements she had ever made. Normally she had more tolerates for research, but normally she didn't spend more than a week researching one thing. She had combed and combed and re-combed through her library, skimming for some vaguer reference to yellowed eyed creatures with hypnotic voices. Nothing. There was absolutely no information on such an individual. Therefore, she still had no idea who or what was in Beast Boy's head or how it was manipulating him, or why it might be doing so. Most importantly, she still had no idea how to stop it. In short, she hadn't budged from square one. And that was the underlying reason for Raven's frustration.

"Friend Raven?" A knock came from outside her door, causing her to drop one or two of the books she was levitating about her. She had not expected company. "Friend Raven, may we do the 'talking' please," called a voice from outside, bolder than most, but still timid and abnormally quiet. Sighing, Raven closed the rest of her books and moved them all into a pile beside her bed. She could pick up after a short talk with Starfire.

"Come in," she called, slightly exasperated. The alien's face appeared in her room, blinking timidly as if to ask for permission to allow her body to follow. "Well," she snapped, clearing some books off her bed and shooting a sharp glance over her shoulder. "Do you want to talk or not?" Starfire looked hurt and began to back out.

"If this is a bad time…" she mumbled.

"No wait," Raven said, straightening and stepping towards the door. She had never yelled at Starfire before. She had wanted to, but never did. They were too close, and the girl was just too sensitive. Her harsh words could have sent Starfire into a depression if she didn't apologies. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sound so cold. It's just," She wasn't sure what to say, so she just closed her mouth and sat down on her bed. Starfire moved in cautiously, the door closing behind her, allowing the darkness to return. She, like most of the Titans, was uncomfortable in Raven's room.

"May I sit?" Raven meant to nod, but instead her head just sort of wobbled on top of her sore neck. Starfire took this as a sign of approval and plopped down next to the dark teen, bouncing slightly. The girl next to her reached up to rub her cramping neck, trying to restore some of its strength. "Have you found anything new?"

"No," Raven breathed, letting her eyes close as she rubbed the tension out. Hours spent pouring over books hadn't usually bothered her, but then again, she had never spent hours staring at ten books placed unceremoniously around her. Perhaps she should have taken a break a bit earlier. "There's absolutely nothing about a creature like this in any of the Azrathian Texts or any of my other books."

"We just need to be patient," suggested Starfire, smiling reassuringly. "And we all have the greatest confidence in you and your knowledge."

"I hope that confidence isn't misplaced."

"What makes you say that? You have yet to fail any of us in a time of need."

"It's been a week Starfire." Raven opened her eyes, frowning slightly. "And I don't know any more than I did when I went into Beast Boy's mind." She paused, her frown deepening. "He must be more frustrated than I am right now." Her voice was far more pensive than she had intended. But what really surprised her was when Starfire laughed. "Mind letting me in on the joke," she said, the slightest edge of annoyance in her voice.

"It's just," the alien giggled. "He is the one who continually reassures us that you will 'fix him', as he likes to put it. I do not believe he has any doubts at all, least of all about you." There was a suggestive note in her voice that made Raven frown oh-so-slightly.

"He always was an idiot," she said dryly, opening her eyes and dropping her hands into her lap. "Though I'll admit it is ironic, that he would be the one to have so much faith in me. Normally he would be bobbing about my shoulders to distract me, or worse, offer me suggestions." Her voice was bitter, but that was barely audible beneath the monotone. "Either that, or he'd be around every few seconds to ask me if I was sure I knew what I was doing."

"He does spend quite a bit of time around you," agreed Starfire, nodding slightly.

"There are times it's like he's my self-appointed shadow! There to question my every action, every motive for those actions. It really is better that he's decided to just stay out of my hair on this one, or I might actually follow through on one of my threats." There it was, the barest bit of true emotion that always slipped through whenever she and Starfire "did the talking". Raven didn't like it, but it was just one of those things that couldn't be helped.

"You…desire his presence," Starfire tried gently. "You… miss him?"

"Are you joking?" Her voice was completely blank, asking the question like it was a fact. There was no humor in her voice.

"Am I mistaken? I apologies, but you seemed to be stating that you wish Beast Boy was here." Starfire looked hopefully at Raven, but she just stared blankly back. "You sound almost as if you… I do not know the words; you are worried by his recent lack of persistency. Or perhaps it is simply strange to not have him around."

"It's a relief," Raven said flatly, not breaking eye contact. "I've rarely been closer to being happy or relaxed. Truthfully, I wish he could act like this more often."

"He would be hurt to hear you say that," whispered Starfire, her eyebrows raised into a puppy-dogish expression. "He cares about how you see him... a great deal."

"What do you mean," she asked skeptically, trying but failing to keep her face strait.

"You have truly not noticed?"

"Noticed what," Raven snapped, her temper close to the surface.

"I apologies, I did not mean any offence, it is merely surprising to me that you do not know what I speak of." Raven frowned. "Tameranians are a highly emotional people, as I believe you have commented before. We tend to be very sensitive to others emotions as well. Given the nature of your empathic abilities, I thought you were as well."

"I am," Raven mused, looking towards her bookcase. "I know what everyone in the Tower is feeling, I can sense the civilians fear when they are attacked, the euphoria of the villain as he commits his crime. Beast Boy I can sense from a mile away."

"And yet you are still unaware of how he feels about you."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean." She hadn't meant to sound so cruel, but this little 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' thing was getting on her nerves. Knowing things _was_ her job after all, what she was best at. And if there was one thing that annoyed her beyond all reason, it was people dangling information in front of her, yet refusing to share. Beast Boy was particularly good at that. Starfire looked hurt by her tone, again. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

"Just?"

"Beast Boy said something similar when I was in his mind. He said there were things, things that he didn't want me to see. He said they could hurt our relationship, but that I probably already knew about them."

"Do you?" Sometimes Starfire's innocence was just flat out annoying.

"Obviously not." The alien princess flushed. "Perhaps you could enlighten me?"

"Well, he continually tries to make you laugh, a trait I have noticed in many Earth couples," Starfire tried to explain, but she was cut off by a strange gagging noise coming from Raven's general vicinity. "And he is always by your side when we fight, to protect you I believe. And whenever you are actually feeling, how do you say it, down, he tries to cheer you up as best he can."

"What are you getting at?"

"He is in love with you." For once in her life, Raven didn't know what to say.

* * *

It was strange, he remembered taking a shower, having some kind of argument with Robin, and playing video games with Cyborg. Then everything went… away. There was no other way to describe it, just away. All his cares just floated up, all his worries, all his thoughts, till nothing mattered anymore. He had the most bizarre, yet comforting feeling, of falling away from the steering wheel and letting someone else take over after a long hard drive. Or collapsing into welcome arms after one of Robin's Slade obsessed, psychopathic, overly zealous training sessions. The arms had carried him away from such things, to a place where everything was all right. And now he was here, where ever here was, with no idea how he got there. Shouldn't that have bothered him? For some reason, it didn't, not at all. And why should it?

He felt warm and heavy, content and comfortable. But the joys of sleep seldom remain for long. Before it was welcome, wakefulness began to descend on him. There was something warm and sort of soft beneath his head, a silken blanket covering the rest of his body. Something was stroking his hair, rhythmic, soothing strokes, a fine, melodic voice humming gently from somewhere above him. The tune was simple yet complex at the same time, a single resonant voice, and a chorus of angels stroking chords as one strokes a purring cat. It vibrated around him, within him, moving through the air, twisting it to strings for the voice to caress and pluck. Had he been given the choice, he would have stayed there, in that state of semi-consciousness, with the music in his ears forever.

But there was something wrong. His pillow felt a lot like flesh, his blanket silken hair… or feathers, he couldn't tell. The thing that was stroking his head felt like a hand, but only in size. Its texture was almost scaly, like bird legs, and there were only three fingers. Every now and then, talons would graze his scalp, not hard enough to hurt, but in a way that was quite similar to nails raking across itchy skin. And this was not his bed, or his room, or the bathroom, or even the Tower. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times in the new brightness. Yep, definitely not the Tower, or even California. Everything was shimmering in the light that filtered through the bubble like sphere, dancing like candlelight through the waves. White cloth formed a soft, cushy floor, and more decorated the… ceiling, if you could call it that, draping like streamers, their ends dangling to form translucent walls. Other than that, there wasn't much.

Slowly, he began to sit up, his head spinning. The singing faded into dry humming, the talons leaving his head. He had been playing with Cyborg, Robin had come in, escorted him to the bath room. He had definitely been taking a shower, had heard the singing, and now he was here. Where was here? Groaning, he rubbed his eyes in a vain attempt to sharpen his vision, then began to look around. Someone was giggling behind him and the humming stopped. Beast Boy chanced a glance, nearly falling over when he made eye contact. There was a girl there, kneeling and grinning gently. She had long, long, dusty brown hair, peppered with the occasional feather of the same color, that cascaded down over her shoulders and body into thick pools all around her. It was also rather conveniently placed, causing a crimson flush to heat his cheeks. Her face was rather round, her features almost too small, with the exception of her wide, thin lips and large cheeks, both of which were completely bleached of color. And her eyes. Those were huge and owlish, their pupils thick black slits in a sea of rich, almost amber yellow. There was no white, causing them to contrast vividly with her pale skin. That held the look of something that had once held a dark, Mediterranean tan, but had been leached of such color by time spent far from the sun. But skin wasn't the only thing that covered her body; around her elbows bird-like scales began to blossom, extending down to her tallied three fingered hands. The same was true for her calves, except that her feet most definitely belonged to a giant sparrow.

Only after a few moments of staring and thinking did it occur to him that there might be a reason why she had that particular grin on her face. "Oh My God!" His shrieks echoed around the bubble like chamber as he frantically reached for anything to cover himself up. It took him even longer to realize that he was, in fact, already wearing something, a strange type of improvised toga made from the white cloth that dominated the chamber to be exact. He had no idea how it had gotten there, but was grateful for it none the less.

"I apologies if I startled you, but you were rather informally dressed when you first arrived and I know how modest people here are." The girl's lips were moving, but the voice he heard could not have belonged to anything less than a Muse. It didn't even sound human, or anything like any kind of animal noise he had ever heard. Then she laughed, and he pinched himself to make sure that he was awake. "You're a strange people, you Americans, from a strange time. So much has changed." She seemed to float to her feet without ever moving, then approached him calmly. "But you are the strangest of all, Garfield."

"Woe, woe, hold the phone!" Beast Boy said loudly, jumping away from her as she reached out to adjust his sheet- toga.

"Is something wrong," she asked coyly, her wide mouth twisting into a smile.

"Who are you, what are you? How do you know me? How did I get here? What is going on? Where am I?!!!" He spat out the questions almost before they came to mind, managing to confuse himself more than anything.

"It's all right, Garfield," she soothed. "Don't be afraid. They called me Zinara, and you are in my prison. You came here because I asked you to."

"You're the one who's been singing?" Beast Boy paused to take in the information, suddenly feeling the distinct urge to sit down. Zinara waited patiently. "Have I- have I been here before? Is that how you know who I am?"

"It's a little more complicated, but essentially yes. You came her once before, but it had been so long, I couldn't remember… Others have answered my call before, one even made it to my cell, long ago, but they all drowned before they could help me. You were the first to survive the trip. I established a bond, a special bond between us, so we can help each other. That is how I know you so well, and somewhere deep within your mind, you know me too." This time, he didn't recoil as she reached out to him. She was so tiny, about Raven's height, but fine boned and thin as a rake. Her hair smelled of sea salt and olive oil, her heart beat pounding rapidly in his head. "What I am is not important," she continued. "But if you want to know, then I will tell you. I am a freak of nature, rather like you, and an abomination like your friend Raven."

"She's not an abomination," he said defensively, but he didn't pull back.

'Half-breeds are rarely considered anything else by the mortal world." Her beautiful voice held a sour note of bitterness, but that made it almost even more beautiful. "What is going on is not important now. I just wanted to see you again, and ask for your help." Zinara sat down again, humming softly. Beast Boy followed suit, just listening to the sound of her voice. It was so beautiful; he could have just listened forever.

"My help? What can I do?" True, he was a shape shifter, and could be very useful in a pinch, but there were plenty of people who were way better than him in every thing he did. Robin for example. No one had ever asked for his help before. They had asked the Titans, the Doom Patrol, or not asked at all and just threatened him with torture and death. But there had never been a person who had come up to him and said 'could you help me?'

"Far more than you probably realize. Especially now," Zinara answered, her voice maintaining that hypnotic quality. "We've bonded; you're the only one who can hear me now. The only one who can help me finish what I started all those years ago. The only one who can free me from this cage." A good ego stroking was not something he received often, and was far from unwelcome. "I need you Garfield." That did it.

"What do you need me to do?"

"They stole something from me, something very important," Zinara said, completely unsurprised by his response. She turned her head sharply, her eyes meeting his, her lips twisted into a gentile smile. "We must get it back, or I can never be freed." He frowned slightly, but she tilted his chin up and leaning close enough to feel his breath. "Don't worry, I'm with you now, Garfield, you won't have to be alone. I'll always be with you now."

* * *

"He what!" Raven hissed after about five minutes of ridged silence. Starfire winced and got up, moving discretely towards the door. "You can not possibly be serious! Starfire, you're not making another bad attempt at a practical joke?" The alien flushed slightly, though from embarrassment or anger, none could tell.

"This is your odyssey, Raven," she said cryptically, glancing back over her shoulder as the door opened. "I am quite certain that only you can find the answers." Then she left without another word, probably hoping that she had provoked Raven into some action or at least conversation with their green friend. Unfortunately, Raven's mind was over a thousand years away, and going at about a mile per hour.

"The Odyssey," she said under her breath, her eyes wide, her expression simply that of a child after hearing the answer to their first riddle. "Starfire, you're a genius."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Ya! Finally, the complete and finished version of Chapter 8! Aren't you excited? Reports of my death have been exaggerated, but my teachers are working on that problem (my sanity is already going). I have made it through the worst part of the year, meaning this ten week span of evil, non-day-offness, so updates should occur more often… hopefully. I'd like to apologies up front for all problems in this chapter, but keep in mind that it is ten at night and I just finished ****Monty Python and the Holy Grail.**** Not too much action, a lot of fluff, but when it hit 9 pages, I figured I should probably stop. Reviews are, as always, appreciated. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Teen Titans.**

**Disclaimer's Disclaimer: This disclaimer was taken from Coeus's story ****Never Again****. I do not own that either, though I might just Copyright this two disclaimers thing since I have never seen it done before.**

* * *

"Sirens," Raven practically shouted as she entered the living room where the Team had gathered, throwing her aged copy of Homer's The Odyssey onto the kitchen table. Normally, Cyborg would have protested the fact that it had practically crushed the remote, but he didn't have time to voice so much as a 'hey' before she continued. "It's a Siren, that's what's been affecting him."

"Sirens? You mean, like mermaids? But I though they were just an old Greek myth," said Robin, folding his arms and staring intently at the book as though he thought it was lying. "And even if they did exist, no one has seen them for over 2000 years. What are the odds that one would just float up on Jump's shoreline?"

"Mermaids…oh! You are referring to Ariel, correct," Starfire said optimistically, her voice bright.

"No, they're really nothing like that." It was as though all the happiness in the room had evaporated. Ariel, they could deal with, or at least understand. "This creature is half bird, half human, and probably severely pissed off that Beast Boy's still alive. The legend says that they would sing a song so sweet that any sailors passing by would drown trying to get to them. Some variations say that they would drown themselves if they failed."

"So maybe she's dead," Cyborg muttered, almost hoping no one had heard. They did, and he was now receiving death glares from all around the table. "I mean, I know that sounds terrible, but seriously, at least Beast Boy's still alive."

"But why is he the only one who can hear her? Shouldn't Cyborg and I be affected too?"

"You should," Raven frowned, thinking hard as she spoke. "Perhaps you two are unaffected because you can't hear her song."

"That's right; Beast Boy has the best hearing out of all of us. His animal DNA gives him heightened senses, like, way heightened. He can hear, see, smell, feel and taste better than all of us put together!" Cyborg received a few blank stares in response to his enthusiasm. "Well, can any of you smell last month's cough syrup spill?"

"But wait, Raven," Robin said abruptly. "You said before that Beast Boy had already been out and seen this Siren. So why did he come back? And why is he still hearing the singing?"

"We don't know that he is, Robin," snapped Raven, glaring at the Boy Wonder. "He hasn't so much as mentioned it in the past week, or made any obvious runs for the shore."

"We never gave him the opportunity to," pointed out Robin defensively. "And he has been staring off into space a lot."

"And this is hard proof that he is still being pulled out into the ocean to seek an immortal human-bird hybrid," Raven chided, giving Robin a cold stare.

"Friend Raven does have a point," said Starfire meekly, sending her lover a pleading look. Seeing Robin yell at people was scary, seeing Raven yell was scarier, but seeing the two of them yelling at each other was Grudge quality terrifying. "Perhaps we should simply ask Beast Boy if he still hears this Siren."

"What happens when he lies then we find his drowned corps floating up onto our beach a week later?" Robin was doing his best not to yell, but he was just so _frustrated._ True, Beast Boy could hold his own in a fist fight (most of the time anyway), but Raven had often complained that his mind was too open and Robin himself had seen how quick he was to trust a stranger. He was worried, there was just no other way to put it, worried about his green friend, and not willing to let him die because The Boy Wonder was careless with his surveillance and let him slip out the window.

"What reason does he have to lie? It's a legitimate question."

"Hey," interrupted Cyborg, glancing around. "Where _is _the grass stain anyway? I haven't seen him in hours."

'He's taking a bath," said Robin moodily, frowning when he received three poorly concealed confused glances from his teammates. "What, you know Beast Boy takes forever in the bathtub."

"You didn't stay to make sure he didn't leave," mocked Raven beneath her monotone.

"Even Robin has some limits," defended Cyborg, though that may have been the wrong word for it. A wicked grin spread over his lips as he pointed one finger straight up into the air in an attempt to look smart as he continued. "He's not going to stand in the bathroom for hours on end watching a naked green boy wash himself just to make sure he didn't leave the tub. Unless there is something Robin hasn't told us yet, I be- ow!" Cyborg grabbed his foot in pain, petting it like a lost puppy while Robin pointedly looked the other way, his expression a little too oblivious.

"Friends, friends," called Starfire from the door, a small note of panic in her voice. "I have checked the room of baths, and Beast Boy is not there!" Her voice broke into a shriek near the end, sending the entire room into a frenzied run for the door. She fell instep behind Robin as soon as the group entered the hall, babbling her story as they raced to the bathroom. Robin kicked down the door as he pulled out two bird-o-ranges, a precaution only, and surveyed the room. It was their usual bathroom, shower in the corner next to the toilet, sink and mirror on the right wall, and a huge bathtub brimming with now cold water and topped by a slightly depleted mountain of bubbles. There was no sign of Beast Boy.

"Where is he?"

"Beast Boy!" Raven merely waved her hand, causing the bubbles to scatter, revealing the bathtub's white rim, the glassy surface of the water, and a small green dot at the bottom of the tub that distinctly resembled a clownfish. It began to dart around as soon as exposed, shifting into an otter as it approached the surface to see what had caused the disturbance. The otter's head broke the surface, its white eyes glancing around the room in confusion… until they found the armed Titans standing in the doorway. A look of absolute horror crossed his face as the startled otter shot three feet in the air, letting out a shriek and diving back into the water. Beast Boy then proceeded to morph into a sea slug and hide as best he could in the corner of the bath tub. A deep flush bloomed across Raven and Robin's faces, though for different reasons, and they turned and marched out of the room without saying anything. Starfire trailed behind, a bemused expression in her eyes.

"Ummmm, sorry pal," Cyborg said awkward, picking up the door. "We were worried that you weren't here, but you are, in fact, still in the bath tub, which is perfectly normal for you so I don't know why we were worried except Starfire said you weren't here, but you are, here that is, so we were wrong and are very sorry for breaking down the door so I'm just going to put it back and go now." He backed out of the room, trying to fit the door back into place as he went, failed, so instead elected to lean it against the frame so that Beast Boy had some privacy and head back to the common area.

"I'm just curious Starfire," Robin was saying as Cyborg re-entered. He and Starfire were at the table, while Raven was over on the couch with a book, still blushing for reasons beyond Cyborg. "Did you check under the water before you came and got us?"

"From what I know about your culture her on Earth," explained Starfire brightly, but seriously, like a kindergarten teacher explaining why it was wrong to lie to a four year old. "It would have been improper to look underneath the water for someone who was taking a bath."

"I see," said Robin, now feeling the distinct urge to slam his head into a wall. Over on the couch, Raven's lips twitched. She loved it when she won.

* * *

"You know," said Beast Boy, poking his head into the refrigerator. "You could have just yelled at me. I probably would have said something. Or you could have _asked me_." Raven folded her arms behind him, frowning, but she refused to partake in his banter. After a long moment of silence, he pulled his head out, a playfully teenage grin on his face. This concerned Raven, it was usually bad for her when he got that look, but she was confident that there was absolutely nothing that he could say that could further humiliate her. "Raven," he said in a low, puppy voice. She scowled at him, but didn't really expect him to stop. "Raven, Raven, Raven." Of all the days she could have been stuck babysitting while the city was under attack, today would be the day. "Raven."

"What," she snapped, getting severely annoyed. Robin had specifically ordered her to watch Beast Boy 'just in case', no reading, no meditating; she wasn't even aloud to watch TV unless she was sure Beast Boy was on the couch next to her.

"If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask." Nothing, except that. Next thing he knew, he was flying across the room butt first towards the TV screen. It turned on when he hit it, resulting in a rather comical scene where Beast Boy slid down the face of one of Jump Cities many reporters as she discussed the weather. Raven, however, didn't see it. She had her back turned to the changeling and was too busy tying to banish a scarlet blush from her cheeks to notice. That had been happening to her a lot recently, ever since Starfire had informed her of Beast Boy's 'true feelings' the previous morning. She had no idea why, it wasn't like she had suddenly sprouted feelings for him over night. "I guess I asked for that one, huh," called Beast Boy from behind the couch.

"Yes, you did," said Raven flatly, tugging her hood into place and blaming the flush on hormones. He grinned childishly, plopping down onto the couch to watch the news report.

"Boring," he said, reaching for the remote, but something caught his eye.

"There is a new exhibit at Jump City Museum, featuring recently uncovered artifacts from the Mediterranean," said the female reporter, beaming. "Now every newly renovated piece is fantastic, but center of this display is none other than this strange gem, referred to in the Greek myths as the "Half Heart". Scientists believe that it is composed of a strange, quarts and…" But Beast Boy had stopped listening. A picture of this 'Half Heart' was resting in the upper left corner of the screen, staring at him innocently. 'They stole something from me, something very important.' The words echoed in his mind, like the half forgotten words of a childhood dream, he couldn't place them, couldn't remember. 'I need you, Garfield.' His eyes widened, a humming starting in his ears. 'We're bonded now, you don't have to be alone. Never again.' He closed his eyes, trying to banish the voice. 'That's it!'

"Beast Boy," Raven said sharply, breaking the spell. He flinched slightly, meeting her eyes once he had regained his composure.

"Yeah," he answered, smiling coyly.

"What is up with you?" Beast Boy laughed out right at this, causing Raven to frown internally.

"Is it really so uncommon to see me thinking," he asked, still laughing.

"Yes," replied Raven bluntly, sitting down next to him and rubbing her temples.

"Hard day," he inquired, crossing his legs and leaning forward.

"Try a hard week," she said, refusing to look at him and continuing to rub her temples.

"Wanna talk about it," offered Beast Boy, grinning hopefully at her.

"No."

"All right," he said, failing to keep the disappointment from his voice. A moment passed, the silence thickening the air despite the continuing news report. Beast Boy leapt over the back of the couch and headed back over to the refrigerator to see if anything edible had materialized in his absence. No such luck. He sighed, pulling out the slightly yellow block of tofu and setting it on the counter. Raven had stopped rubbing her temples and was now just staring blankly at the screen. "Hey, Rea," he tried again after a moment or two.

"Yes," she answered curtly, not looking at him.

"Maybe you should take it easy for a while," he suggested.

"What do you mean by that," she said, shooting him a half look over her shoulder.

"Well, "he trailed off, staring at his tofu. "I don't know, read some more depressing novels, drink more tea, maybe take the next few missions off."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you know," he stuttered, trying to redeem himself. "You are looking a little tired and more rundown than usual." She raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Umm, that didn't come out right, what I meant was –"

"Beast Boy."

"Yes"

"Stop talking."

"OK," he muttered, cutting a piece off of the tofu block and popping it into his mouth. "I guess it was rather stupid of me to suggest it in the first place."

"Yes, it was," chided Raven, her eyes returning to the screen to indicate that the discussion was over.

"I mean, what would Robin say," he continued, ignoring her. "He would flip out and put us through extra training just for suggesting it." Raven ignored him. "I'm just, you know worried."

"What," snapped Raven, standing up and levitating over to the kitchen area.

"Well, if you aren't fully awake, then you're more likely to get thrown into walls, believe me, I know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "It's nothing, just… forget I said anything."

"No, it's not nothing," Raven stated, landing across from Beast By and giving him a piercing stare, which he skillfully avoided. "We've had late nights, late weeks, and you've never been worried before." There was another short, tense silence where Raven continued to stare and Beast Boy continued to avoid by poking his tofu uncomfortably. "Well?"

"It's never been my fault before," he yelled, slamming his hand into the counter top, making the tofu jump. Yet he still refused to meet her gaze.

"Don't you think you're over reacting," Raven returned calmly, letting down her hood. For some reason, it seemed to make Beast Boy more comfortable. "It's not like this is anything special, we've seen weird stuff before, we've lost sleep, gotten hurt. Life goes on, this is no different. But you've never gotten this worked up about it."

"You're wrong," Beast Boy whispered, not quite dangerously, but with the distinct hint of anger. "Before, I could blame it on Robin's obsessions or training, or Starfire's over enthusiasm in the kitchen, or you just being you. It's never been _my fault_. No one has ever lost sleep over _me_ before, or something stupid that _I've _done." He finally looked up at her, emerald eyes glinting guiltily. "This is different, I caused this. Cyborg's been skipping sleep cycles to make sure there is tofu for me to eat in the morning, and even forcing some of the stuff down himself. Robin's been personally overseeing my supervision, that is, when he isn't destroying the training room or finding something else to obsess over. And Starfire's been treating me like I'm Silkie's new baby brother. Don't think I haven't noticed." Raven gave him a warning look, but he just kept going. "And you! You've been up doing research for me, to figure out what's wrong with _me_. All this last week you've barely come out of your room for so much as a bathroom break, and who knows if you've been sleeping or not."

"You're exaggerating, we're all fine," stated Raven in her best soothing voice. Needless to say, Beast Boy was not very comforted; if anything, he was looking almost disappointed and, ironically, annoyed. Raven narrowed her eyes, studying him for a second or two. Beast Boy stared back defiantly, as if to challenger to pronounce any of his observations wrong. "There's something else," she finally said. The ghost of a frown crossed his features and he looked away from her quickly

"I told you," he muttered, absently playing with his tofu. "It's nothing." She gave him another skeptical look.

"You can't get out of this so easily, you're the one how wanted to talk in the first place."

"I said it's nothing." The sharpness in his voice was startling, if not down right wrong. He glanced over at her, then quickly away again. "You know what, you're right. I probably am over reacting anyway. Just forget about it," the green changeling said evasively, picking up his tofu and putting it back into the refrigerator, then proceeding to turn off the TV.

"What is bothering you so much that you can't even talk about it," demanded Raven, following him.

"Why is it that we only have one TV anyway," rambled Beast Boy, walking around the couch.

"Beast Boy."

"I mean, we're, like, always fighting over what to watch or which video game to play."

"Beast Boy!"

"Same goes for bathrooms. We have this huge tower and pretty much an unlimited amount of money, there is no reason for us _not_ to have more than one toilet. That's just ridiculous!"

"If you value your life, you'll get your green butt over here right now and talk to me."

"Maybe I could talk to Cyborg about installing a bathroom in all of our rooms. And a TV. That would be nice." Had any other member of the team walked in at that moment they would have found a raving Beast Boy doing laps around the couch and a vexed Raven chasing him an a twisted loop that could only be described as comical. Raven couldn't help herself; he knew something she didn't, something she wanted to know. That just drove her crazy.

"Garfield!" She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. Before she knew what was happening, he had grabbed her wrists and pulled her closer to him, his eyes boring into hers, uncharacteristically serious.

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me, all right," he almost yelled. She blinked up at him, suddenly very aware of the four inches of height he had achieved since they had first met. It wasn't much, but it did put him comfortably taller than her. A lot had changed since then… then again, maybe it hadn't. Maybe he had always been like this, and she was just now noticing it. "I won't let anyone else to get hurt because of me."

"There's more to this then you're saying." Beast Boy flinched slightly, but didn't release her and she, in turn, didn't pull back "Tell me what's wrong. Why are you so worried all of a sudden?"

"Why do you care?" There was no sarcasm, no anger, no bitterness in his voice, nothing but tired curiosity. The question surprised Raven, to put it mildly, to the point where it took her more than a moment to decide what to tell him. She looked away from him, licking her lips as she thought.

"Let me go," she said slowly, straining against him. He tightened his hold on her wrists, not enough to hurt, just enough to keep her close.

"Not until you answer my question. Why do you care?"

"Because you're my team mate… and my friend," she admitted, forcing herself to meet his gaze once more. "I don't want to see anything bad happen to you either." He released her and she immediately took a step back, grateful for the distance.

"Is that all-" he whispered, swallowing mid sentence. "Is that all I am to you, a team mate and a friend?" For the second time in less than two days, Raven was speechless

'He's in love with you.' Starfire's words echoed in her head, infuriatingly clear. So what was she supposed to tell him? The truth? A half-truth? Was she supposed to lie to him? What would that accomplish, he would know any way. Beast Boy always knew. A second passed, then another, and another. He gave her a half grin that quickly faded when she failed to answer, then tried again. A minute of silence passed and his hopeful grin finally stopped returning.

"Raven," he whispered sadly, like she was nothing more than a picture, or a memory, like the real Raven couldn't hear him. Slowly, timidly, he reached out towards her, but he withdrew his hand before it had moved more than a few inches, letting it drop limply to his side. Then he turned sharply, walking stiffly, but quickly to the door. "Just in case you were wondering," he said over his shoulder as the doors slid open. "You're more than a team mate and a friend to me, Raven. Way more." As the doors closed there was the definite sound of an explosion in the refrigerator.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: First, I would like it noted that I did, in fact, update the day after Thanksgiving. I finished Chapter 8 and reposted it, it just didn't show up as an update. Second, I was totally almost finished with this chapter, like, three weeks ago, but then my computer fried itself and erased all software, including Chapter 9. So there I was, not very happy, with a vastly superior opening scene gone and a set back the size of Texas. I had to go back and completely rewrite it, with no point of reference,one week till our week long holiday concert, and two filled to the brim, frenzied weeks till finals. So, bearing that in mind, I hope you can forgive the less than fabulous quality and dinkyness of this chapter and continue reading the story despite the obvious slow downs in updates. Bear with me, I'm trying**

**Disclaimer: Sorry, not time to come up with a clever way to say I don't own Teen Titans, I've gotta go on a road trip to Texas.**

Beast Boy barely waited for his door to close before he slammed his back into it, allowing himself to just slide down onto the floor. He felt like he should have been angry, like he was supposed to yell and throw things, but he couldn't. He felt like he was supposed to cry, like he was supposed to scream, but he found he couldn't do that either. What were people supposed to do when someone broke their heart? Hadn't he already listed all the things you were _supposed_ to do, or feel? If that was true, if he wasn't doing anything of these things, did that mean Raven hadn't just driven a knife strait through his ribs? That couldn't be right. If he didn't have a broken heart, then why did he feel so... broken? His hands were resting limply on the ground, his eyes gazing at the mirror across from him blankly.

He was an idiot. That was all there was to it. An idiot for trying to tell her, an idiot for trying to keep her safe, an idiot for falling for her in the first place. Absently, he played with the carpet, plucking at the short hairs and attempting to wrap them around his finger. She was probably still staring at the door, wondering what he was on. Or she was calling Robin, telling him that he was 'acting strangely'. Yeah, that was going to help everything, make everything better. He gripped the carpet, trying vainly to understand why. That would be easy, pretending there it was just a random incident, teenage moodiness, nothing that meant anything. It would be insanely easy for her to just believe he was being paranoid and she happened to be around, that he hadn't meant what he said. Things could be the way they were, just like that. He let his eyes close, let his chin fall onto his chest. She would do it too, just ignore the entire argument, Raven would pretend it didn't happen. He could go right back and strike up a conversation and the best he could hope for would be a strange look before she went back to whatever she happened to be doing.

But he couldn't do that. Maybe Raven could ignore her feelings, bury them beneath a cold expression, but he wasn't Raven. He had meant everything he said; granted, he didn't really understand half of it, but he meant it. Something was going to happen, she was going to get hurt, and he was going to be the reason. That was all he knew for sure, that was all he needed to know. But clearly it wasn't enough for Raven, she had to try and find some deeper meaning, tried to rationalize it. There was nothing rational about a feeling, but try telling that to a telekinetic hero. And what would Cyborg say? Robin? Even Starfire would think there was something wrong with him. Beast Boy the comedian never worried about his friends, and if he did, he certainly never said anything about it. He made bad jokes, patted himself on the back, and annoyed everyone just for kicks. Then again, Beast Boy didn't go for random swims, Beast Boy didn't have gaping holes in his memory, Beast Boy didn't hear music that no one else could hear.

He pushed himself to his feet, staring intently at his reflection, examining the green skin, the pointed ears, the lone fang that had a tendency to poke out of his mouth because it didn't quite fit. His hair poked out in all directions, just like it always did, his outfit hugged him, though not quite as tightly as Robin's, his eyes were a dark emerald green, just like they always were. But there was something there, something amiss, as if there was a stranger in his skin. It was Beast Boy in his reflection, those were his eyes, his hands, his face, his hair, his body. Definitely Beast Boy, yet not. There was something... feminine about the way he was standing, something rather bird like about the way his head was tilted, some shimmer of yellow behind his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to blink the image away, but it was still there, almost smirking at him when he looked back. Timidly, as if it might shock him when he made contact, he touched the glass. His reflection mimicked him, like it should have, but there was still something off.

A slow, soft hum started from no place in particular, weaving its way into his mind. It surrounded him, dancing in the air, vibrating inside of him. The song soothed him, like a mother, a lover's whisper, calming his brief unrest, pushing all thought of how or why he was there from his mind. For a moment, he relaxed into it, letting himself sink into this bizarre, yet familiar feeling. Why was he even worrying at all? What had he even been thinking a moment ago? Did that even matter? His hand fell to his side, his eyes slid out of focus. But wait, why was he there? And what had he been doing. Raven, he had been with Raven. They were talking- no, fighting, and not just their normal banter, full out, yelling, actual problem fighting. But what about, what was that problem? What had he told her? An intense pain began to swell in his chest, like something was compressing his ribs, his throat. What had she told him? He couldn't breath, couldn't understand. The song pushed against the feeling, trying vainly to chill his burning blood, it tried to make him forget the pain._ Let it go, let her go._ Disparately, he tried to ignore the melodic voice._ Forget her, forget Raven. _He pressed his hands against the mirror, shoving himself away from it ruffly, gritting his teeth. Pain exploded in his head, like he had just ripped an arrow out of it, he fell backwards onto the ground. His breath came in sharp gasps, his fingers curled in his hair. This thing, this song, it had pulled him out of the Tower, into the ocean, and God knew where else. It had wiped his memory clean, called to him, made him consider doing things that any sane person would find completely insane. He wasn't OK with all of that, but he could handle it, he could deal with it. But this music, this voice in his head _would not_ make him forget about Raven, not even the smallest, most insignificant, minute detail. Nothing would. And yet, there he was, on the floor with the worst headache of his life after a week of forgetting, and he still wasn't entirely sure how he got there.

"What's wrong with me," he hissed through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. His head was pounding, fragmenting every thought that crossed his mind, his body was beginning to ache, and he felt nauseous. But at least the music had stopped, leaving him in blissful silence, if only for a moment. He chanced a glance at his reflection, afraid of what he might see, but unsure why. Nothing made sense. There it was, sitting on the floor across from him, clutching its head, returning his stare. But it was grinning coyly, its emerald eyes brightening to a predatory yellow with slitted pupils. "What is this," he gasped, rather shrilly, scooting away from the glass. His reflection did not mimic him like it should have. It grinned at him and stood up, brushing its pants casually as it did so.

"Garfield," said the voice from his mind sweetly. "This is us. I told you, we're bonded, you'll never have to be alone again." His reflection stepped closer to the glass, still grinning that bird-like grin. "There is nothing wrong with you." The voice was soothing, oddly persuasive. "It's all right."

"What are you, how are you..." Beast Boy tried to demand, but his voice lacked any kind of firmness. His reflection continued to grin, examining itself absently. Slowly, as if someone had splashed water onto a canvas of water colors, the image began to blur and fade. His room, his body, his face, all colors began to run and morph into something new, something familiar. Only the eyes stayed the same, constantly clear as the face around them changes. Large, thin lips and pale skin began to emerge, a small, thin body began to construct itself, long, dusty brown hair rushed from large pools on the floor to a scalp. Feathers spotted the locks, talons served as hands and feet. His room melted into a large, bubble draped in white cloth. Light danced on the floor as if filtered through water, swaying rhythmically. Before him stood a girl about his age, completely alien, yet strangely familiar, in a bizarre room that was so definitely not his own that under any other circumstances it would have been funny.

"Who are you, what do you want?" She laughed, a sound somewhere between a ringing chord and wind chimes that made his head spin and butterflys take off in his stomach.

" Zinara," she replied lightly. There was something very familiar about her, something he couldn't quite place. He frowned at her, still not getting up. The pain had stopped, but there was still a buzzing sound he couldn't quite block out. Raven had tried to teach the team to shield their minds from unwelcome visitors who might extract sensitive information from them, but he had always been terrible at that. Maybe that was why she was there, she was after something, wanted something he knew. Robin would eat him for dinner if he let this girl into the Tower. Beast Boy closed his eyes and tried to focus on quieting the buzz. The laugh came again, shattering every hope at concentration along with the entire train of thought. "Garfield, I'm not here to steal your secrets. They're hardly interesting to me, well, at least the ones you're thinking about."

"Then what do you want," he shot back, snapping his eyes open and giving her his most intense glare.

"We'll have to do something about that memory of yours," Zinara mused absently, kneeling in front of him. "It _was _necessary to keep them from you before, but now I can keep the empath out of your memories. Your friends would not approve of us, so we wouldn't be safe if she knew."

"Hello, I'm still here you know," pouted Beast Boy, oddly relaxed around this Zinara. "And I still have no clue what you're talking about."

"Yes you do," she said. "Think. I called to you, and you came. You were the first to make it, to survive the trip."

"You asked for my help," he said tentatively, frowning slightly. "You told me you needed me."

"That's right, Garfield. You said you'd help me find what they stole."

"Why couldn't I remember that before," he asked.

"I've shielded your memory of our encounters thus far, to protect you."

"Protect me? From what?"

"Those memories could have hurt you, or caused others to hurt you. Your friends would have locked you up if they found out, they would have called you crazy."

"I'm seeing people in my mirror... and talking to them. I **am** crazy."

"No," she snapped, rather sharply, causing him to flinch away. "No, you're not. You can see me because we're bonded, you can hear me because you have heightened hearing. You don't deserve to be tucked away in some little padded room because you're different." Her voice held more than a slight trace of bitterness. "I had to make you forget."

"You're the one, the one who was trying to make me forget just now," Beast Boy demanded, the smallest trace of anger in his voice. Zinara stood up, giving him a calculating look.

"Yes," she said after a minute.

"Why," he said sharply, pushing himself up and advancing towards the mirror. Zinara didn't flinch, merely stared at him."Why did you think I needed to forget Raven?"

"I wasn't trying to make you forget the Half-breed," protested Zinara, folding her arms. "Just the fight."

"Why?" He pressed his hands against the glass, as if he could fall right through to confront Zinara in person.

"She hurt you. What she said to you, what she did, inflicted unnecessary pain. I was trying to make it better." She blinked up at him, yellow eyes defiant, but honest. "I don't want to see you in pain."

"You don't need to make me forget everything that ever hurt me," Beast Boy said, looking slightly annoyed, but his anger had already begun to fade. He could understand her intentions, her methods were just a little off.

"I'm sorry Garfield." She smiled up at him, the slightest of blushes tinging her pale cheeks. "The truth is, you're the first person I've talked to in... along time. I'm not sure what to do anymore."

"Why, where are you," he asked, cocking his head curiously.

"I'm here," she said, gesturing to her surroundings. "But I don't know where here is. They imprisoned me a long time ago, and set it to drift in the seas."

"What did you do," Beast Boy asked, flinching at the hurt look on her face as soon as the words left his mouth. "I mean, I've locked people up before, but they've always committed some kind of crime, or done something to deserve it."

"I was born. Simple as that," she snorted. "I was born an abomination, a freak, different, so they imprisoned me in here and hid the key."

"I'm sorry," he apologized for no reason in particular, looking at anything but her. "I didn't know, I mean, I-" Something cut him off mid sentence, gentile pressure lifting his chin, bringing his gaze back to Zinara's yellow eyes.

"None of that matters now," she cooed softly, a soft hum rumbling in the back of her throat.

"Now there is only one thing that is important."

"Finding what they stole from you," he answered, almost before he could fully comprehend the meaning of her words. "I need to find it and free you."

"You know where it is, don't you. I saw it before, through your eyes," she probed eagerly, leaning closer to the glass herself.

"Jump City Museum's new exhibit, the one featuring the Mediterranean artifacts."

"You must be discrete, you can't tell your friends about this. If they discover our plans, they will try and stop us. They must not know it is you." He nodded, letting his eyes close. It all made such perfect sense, seemed so unquestionably logical. Zinara was right, he couldn't tell the other Titans, they wouldn't understand, they'd just try and stop him. No, he had to find a way around them, a way to the Half Heart. "You know what to do, go." His eyes snapped open, no longer a vibrant emerald green, but a glowing golden yellow that looked absolutely putrid against his green skin, his pupils wide slits. With no more than a brief glance to make sure his door was closed, he lept out of his window and disappeared into the sunset.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Yes, I know, I should be shot and thrown into a vat of H2SO4 for making you wait so long. Rest assured, it was not my intention to do such a fiendish thing, this has actually been finished for about a week, which shows you how often I've been able to get in any quality time with Bob here. In my defense, I did not want the quality to drop like a rock and I was hoping that it's sheer size might spare me your wrath. If not, please at least read my list of excuses before you proceed with my dismemberment, thinking them up was the only thing that's kept me some what sane these past two months. At first, I thought there was nothing like history to kill a creative pup... I was wrong. Having realized this, I revised above statement to read 'nothing like history and three weeks of standardized testing'. Once again, life smacked me in the gut, and I had to revise the above statement to 'nothing like history, three weeks of standardized testing, and a week without Internet access'. For the record, this was all still a month ago. Since then, I have decided that there is nothing like two history projects on top of the already overly generous history homework and overly enthusiastic history teacher, a Math IA, The Grapes of Wrath, a Grapes of Wrath essay, a history related English research paper, another project to go with that research paper, a chemistry lab report, a scene for acting that was supposed to be five minutes long and was fifteen and was subsequently being mercilessly hacked into tiny, unrecognizable pieces that need to be memorized and preformed flawlessly in less than a week, strange new choreography for our upcoming week long concert fondly named "The Pops Concert", a book to read and analyze _in French, _the CAS due date looming up just around the corner, and the AP U.S. American History test hanging over my head to bludgeon, trample, mutilate, or otherwise beat the crap out of my little pup of creativity. Interspersed between all of that I had a rich variety of tests too, but that about covers it. Wow, my venting is getting to be longer than the chapter! Now please, read and enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: If I did own Teen Titans, do you honestly think I would have put up with the stress levels induced by above circumstances? The answerer is no, I would be lounging about in Japan, mastering the art of the Tea Ceremony and becoming a ninja. Thank You.**

* * *

Raven stared blankly at the door, an expression akin to absolute shock mingled with ingeniously hidden confusion in her eyes. She had know Beast Boy for a long time, sometimes it seemed as if she had known him forever. Granted, she knew very little about Garfield, only that he came from Africa and was adopted into the Doom Patrol after the untimely death of his geneticist parents, but Beast Boy... Beast Boy was the humor obsessed, tofu consuming, shape shifting, kid of the Team. He was a goof ball, someone who could make anything funny, or at least annoying enough that your only option was to hit him. He was overly dramatic and emotional, ever optimistic, and loud. Raven could always tell what he was thinking, though most of the time she didn't need to have even the slightest amount of empathic ability for that since he was usually very vocal about it, despite her most desperate attempts to ignore him. Beast Boy was immature, clueless, illogical, lazy, and irresponsible to a degree she didn't think was possible, but at the same time he was loyal and compassionate, willing to give pretty much anyone the benefit of the doubt. He was kind and thoughtful and intuitive... sometimes, but in a pinch he would always be there for the ones he cared about.

The boy who had just stormed out of the room hadn't been that Beast Boy. In all the years they had shared the Team, he had never once confessed to feeling guilty about something. He had always pointed the finger at someone else, or shrugged it off as no big deal, or simply blushed a little and laughed after a lighthearted 'oops'. He had never commented on the physical states of those around him, at least, nothing beyond 'dude, you look nice' or 'dude, you look like you just got hit by a truck and dumped in toxic waste'. And he had never, ever, in all the time she had been around him, gotten so worked up over her personally. Sure, he had helped her out during numerous battles, but he helped everyone, right? And he was always declaring her habits unhealthy, but that was just an attempt to get on her nerves. And true, there were days when she felt like the only places in the entire Tower she could go with out feeling him watching her like some kind of self proclaimed body guard were her room and the toilet. And yes, he had gotten ridiculously tense and, in a bizarre way, almost jealous during the Malchior incident... and he had been uncharacteristically supportive for weeks afterwards, right up until she threw the tofu eggs he had brought her for breakfast (the same tofu eggs he had been feeding her for a number of days after he had given up on trying to cook any real ones and still have them be remotely edible, mind you) right into the video game system. She felt a little guilty about that one, but just a little. All right, so maybe he had fussed over her before, but he had never come out and said anything about trying to protect her, or argued with her that intensely. That wasn't the Beast Boy way.

But, somehow, it had been her Beast Boy. Beast Boy had never defied her so disparately, spoken to her so bluntly, grabbed her like that and stared at her so intently. He had never, at least, never verbally, admitted to being afraid of anything or for anyone, let alone her; nor had he ever even seemed to understand what the word 'worry' meant. She couldn't even remember the last time he had yelled at someone, let alone put his life in danger by directing his anger at her. But the strangest thing of all, the most un-Beast Boy like action, the one that really annoyed and worried _her _was his bluntness. Never before had he been so bold as to openly suggest that she take a day off or encourage her to 'read more depressing novels'. He had never seemed to notice when one of the Team was tired, at least, not enough to comment on it. If he had ever expressed his honest opinion so flatly before, it hadn't been to her, and if his words had ever managed to slice through tissue paper before, she hadn't heard about it. But it had been his voice, his hands, his face. That had been his grin that had faded from his face before he left, his ever hopeful grin, his stupid, trademark, overly enthusiastic grin. Those had been his eyes, his bright emerald eyes, starring down at her pleadingly, begging her to stay safe. They had been clear and innocent, though it would have been easier for her to just assume he was possessed. They hadn't been glazed over, like they had when the siren had been calling to him, there light dulled by an unseen voice beaconing him towards the sea, nor had there been even the slightest tinge of predatory yellow, nothing to adulterate the purity of his eyes. No, as much as she didn't want to admit it, as much as it bothered her- no, frightened her, there could be no doubt that that had been Beast Boy, yelling and all. She couldn't allow herself to think beyond that, anything past analysis led to feeling. Raven couldn't let herself feel, not now, not with civilians within a mile.

With a defeated sigh, she headed over to the refrigerator, hoping to clean up the mess before the other Titans got back. The interior was covered in a grotesque mixture of raw eggs and orange juice. Beast Boy's tofu seemed to be the only thing untouched, as if her subconscious mind had protected it from the explosion. She swallowed tightly, trying very hard not to think about... anything aside from her task. Gritting her teeth, she reached towards the nearest towel, not taking her eyes from the mess in the refrigerator, carefully avoiding the tofu, dampening it with water from the sink. This took several tries since a) she wasn't looking at the towel and b) she couldn't claim to be terribly focused on her task. Beast Boy was right, in a sense, she probably could use a break. When simple things like cleaning the refrigerator became a chore, it was a sign akin to something you might see in Vegas that she was tired. The tofu began to tremble beneath her gaze and she was left with little choice but to look away or be covered with old tofu. She swallowed again, ringing out the towel and shoving her hands into the slimy, slightly orange shelves, beginning to scrub. It was tedious and revolting work that could have taken about three seconds if she had been able to trust herself to use her powers without throwing the whole refrigerator into an alternate dimension or something similar happening. Raven was just as skilled as her green friend at avoiding. The tofu shook again. Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered, opening her eyes and continuing to scrub, this time electing to stare at the tangled cardboard mess that had been the orange juice carton instead of the tofu. What was the big deal any way? She'd had a fight with Beast Boy, it happened all the time. True, there had been a little more physical contact than usual, and the subject matter had been a little more personal, the actual argument slightly more intimate. But the insults hadn't been any worse than they were in any other fight, right? Well, technically speaking, she really hadn't even insulted him; if anything he'd insulted her. But she had thrown him across the room, that was perfectly normal. And she had yelled at him, that happened all the time. By all definitions it had been a normal fight. So _why _on Earth was she so bothered by it? 'Because that wasn't a normal fight for you and Beast Boy,' whispered a voice in her head. 'That was, however, a normal lovers quarrel. Well, as normal as it can get when the lovers happen to be a pair of teen superheros.' The orange juice carton, or what was left of it, shredded itself. Raven hissed, contemplating throwing the towel, but deciding it would be to much work to have to pick it up again. Instead, she elected to to start migrating the destroyed Tupperware to the trash can, starting with that annoying carton. The refrigerator would be easier to clean without random trash getting in her way.

Frowning in disdain, she set her now slick towel next to the tofu and reached bravely into the depths of the refrigerator to begin removing the various destroyed and or mangled items. Seriously, she couldn't imagine how Beast Boy could even mention guilt or fault around her. What could he possibly have done that could compare to her track record of messing things up and getting people hurt. She had been key in ending the world for Pete's Sake, instrument in taking probably trillions of innocent lives. She had released an evil dragon back into the world because she had been stupid enough to think he actually cared about her. She had sent Dr. Light into a state of shock that was very nearly fatal simply because he had annoyed her on a bad day. Beast Boy had no idea how many times he himself had come within a millimeter of his life... how close Terra came. The plastic in her hands twisted sharply, its sharp edges biting into her pointer finger. Yelping in surprise, she dropped the plastic and grabbed her hand. A thick line of crimson liquid was already welling to the surface, shining in the artificial light of the Tower. Cursing silently, she put her finger in her mouth, carefully not thinking about any of the other substances that might have been on her skin. Blood stains terribly, so she really couldn't wipe it off on something, and Cyborg had so many devices hooked up to the sink that her blood was likely to set of some kind of alarm. The absolute last thing she needed was someone walking in on her, especially in this state.

How Beast Boy could possibly be bothered by the Teams not so odd behavior was beyond her, it wasn't like they hadn't done similar things when Robin had been kidnapped by Slade, when Cyborg had considered leaving them for Titans East, when Starfire told them she was engaged. Heck, nothing compared to when they'd found out that yours truly was going to end the world. Every time they thought they would loose one of their own, the Team reacted the same way, really, in the only way they knew how. They fought, fought against the idea, against the impulse, fought to keep their sanity and safety. Perhaps the Teen Titans didn't always get along, perhaps they had passionate disagreements, perhaps they sometimes thought they would be better off alone, but in the end, they were a Team, a pack, a little band of misfits. They needed each other, they couldn't function, couldn't be complete if they lost one. The idea of going back to being alone, a freak in a city of humans, frightened them, even Robin, who was the only full human among their ranks, felt estranged by society. They belonged together and they were willing to do whatever it took to ensure that nothing happened to break them apart. So it was only natural for everyone to worry, even obsess, when Beast Boy began to act strangely, even the thick headed green changeling had to know that. And he really had no right to be annoyed by their behavior, it would be flat out hypocritical. She remembered how he had acted when Cyborg said he was going to stay with the Titans East, and even shuddered at the memory of his fretting and fussing when the world had ended.

There was the sickening slapping sound of a slimy piece of cloth landing on a slime covered surface. Raven frowned, disposing of the rest of the mutilated items in the refrigerator quickly and returning to her scrubbing. Only tho tofu was left in its place, an almost comic reminder. There it sat, scrutinizing her as she attempted to avoid it, challenging her, accusing her. Of what, she wasn't willing to think about, but it persisted nastily.'I don't want you to get hurt because of me, all right?' She locked her jaw, scrubbing at a spot next to the tofu hard. 'Why do you care?'

'Go away,' she ordered silently, scrubbing until the plastic shelf groaned. Raven tried very hard to think about the conversation that might occur if the rest of the Titans walked in at that moment. There they'd find her, hands filthy, bent over, and cleaning of all things. Yes, she was a very cleanly and organized person, so logically, it wouldn't be all that odd to see her playing Cinderella. But she knew full well that the image of her actually doing manual labor was far more alien than anything Starfire could cook and, by Cyborg's standards, perfect blackmail material. They would probably be sufficiently weirded out if they just say her with the dish towel. Maybe, if they got back before she was finished, they'd have a good laugh. Beast Boy would come running back to see what was so funny and probably tease her mercilessly for about a week. Things would be back to normal, no more sirens, no more yellow eyes, no more acting strangely. She could forget the whole thing ever happened.

'Not until you answer my question. Why do you care?' Raven threw the towel down into the sludge, frustrated. Who was she kidding, there was no way things could go back to the way they were before. Too much had happened, too much had been said, too many questions had been answered. She knew full well why Beast Boy was so concerned about her, why he wanted her to stay at the Tower, take a break. She wasn't an idiot, nor was she blind, she knew there was more going on than he was willing to tell her, more than he even knew. Beast Boy wasn't planning anything per say, but he was getting ready for something, something big. And he didn't want to hurt his friends in the process... didn't want to hurt to woman he loved. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to her, and Raven knew that. Vexed beyond all reason, Raven grabbed the towel again and took it over to the sink in an attempt to rinse the egg and orange juice from it. He loved her, Raven knew he loved her, a part of her had known since before Starfire had even thought about saying anything to her. Beast Boy had all but told her before he had left, and she had looked into those rich, honest, emerald eyes as they sparkled with hope and said that they were just friends, then she had just watched as he left to go God knows where.

She looked down intently at the object in her hands that was slowly looking more and more like a towel, more out of a desire not to destroy the sink than any actual curiosity, noticing it for the first time. The wrinkles in its thick, spongy skin as she twisted it in her soft hands, the small lumps of the checker-board pattern, the roughness of the small rolls of polyester, still attached… but only by the thinnest of threads, some of which were only visible when the light caught them, causing them to shine. She could smell the faint lemon, worked into the very fibers by the persistent hands of time; hear the sandpaper noise of the fabric catching on the calluses of her hands. Its rich, dark color overtook her vision, engulfing the sink, the room, flowing over her hands, covering them, spreading like water colors across a wet page, thin veins reaching out to the very corners as a child's eager fingers stretch towards their first midnight sky, amazed, wondering, frail, yet somehow becoming more vibrant as they went. It consumed her world, her thoughts, all reason within her, until there was nothing but the pulsing color of the towel. It surrounded her, taunting her, annoying her, begging her, screaming, crying, pleading, loving. It was green.

The tofu exploded, spraying the entire room with little off white chunks and left over muck. Raven closed her eyes and sighed deeply, not knowing whether to laugh hysterically, blow up something else, or just fall over and cry.

* * *

When one thought of criminals, liars, thieves, murderers, the works, Beast Boy was one of the last people that came to mind. He was small, his body thin and rather frail looking, his muscles fine and comparable to coils of rope. And frankly, he was the shortest male member on the Team by a good foot, and second overall, only managing to top Raven (by two inches, but that still counted). He was very aware of this fact and chose to rub it in whenever he could, usually earning himself a good smack and providing the rest of the Team with valuable entertainment in the process. Which leads us into point two, Beast Boy acted like he'd never hit puberty. He was about as animated as a Loony Tune, always ready with random objects that seemed to appear from nowhere and a stupid, immature joke. He had next to no clue when to give someone their space, electing to instead see just how many buttons he could push before severe physical damage was inflicted. The Tower had a special insurance plan just for damages inflicted by Beast Boy's flying body colliding with unusual spaces. He didn't seem capable of putting the 'enough is enough' philosophy into practice. He was always acting like a total idiot in public, giving the media almost every bit of dirt they had on the Titans. This led to the overall impression that Beast Boy was, in fact, an idiot, a public opinion that, if anything, he encouraged. The boy always had that stupid grin on his face, his voice was high pitched, his ears were pointed, and he ate tofu. Yeah... there's a criminal if the public ever saw one. He was _green, _for crying out loud.

Jump had real criminals, a substantial 'big' crime rate, super villains to rival Gotham. They had seen a super villain before, had been evacuated due to one of their 'ingenious plans', had felt their power, had feared their intentions. They knew a criminal when they saw one, though only a select few had ever managed to catch the slightest glimpse and they usually lived to regret it. Super villains were almost like ghosts in the streets, a glimmer of orange here, a flash of pink their, and suddenly the building was falling over. That's not to say that the villains of Jump were by any means discreet, just fast, precise, and deadly. It was only during the street fights that the public got any kind of idea of exactly what theses ghosts looked like, what they were capable of. But the Titans were always there during those fights (it really wouldn't be much of a fight without an opponent, one of the good guys, would it?), usually getting the crap beaten out of them during the first round. That's what defined a super villain in the eyes of the Jump city public, the ability to beat the Titans, to get away with it, so to speak. If they were capable of _that_, then they were worthy of the title, worthy of Jump's fear. But in the end, the Titans always triumphed, putting the villains back into their place, protecting their city and it's people.

Beast Boy was a Titan. He was part of the Team, one of the super heroes that protected Jump from the super villains. Granted, he was the most comic member, cracking jokes even on the battle field with no drop in buoyancy or quality, though that really wasn't saying much. But despite this apparent lack of concern, he was always there to save the day, to 'kick the butt' as Starfire so loved to put it. He always fought as hard and for as long as he had to, throwing himself quite readily into danger, usually getting himself hurt on some stupid impulse and falling into line behind Robin, fighting until they had won or until there wasn't anyone left there to fight. He never gave up, he never slowed down, he never had any doubts, he was one of the constant defenders of the city. So, as far as the public was concerned, Beast Boy was a hero, a Titan, someone they could always count on. They didn't ever need to worry about him turning on them, after all, there wasn't a bad bone in his body, and who would want to use _Beast Boy _in some kind of master plan. Robin was understandable, he did have a creepy, obsessive side that could turn him bad in a nightmare, and Raven was just flat out strange, if she turned into a pink bunny the size of Titans Tower, the population of Jump might have been surprised by the fact that it was pink. But Beast Boy? Not even in a bad Sci Fi movie.

Unfortunately, Jump didn't have all the facts... not even close. They didn't know that Beast Boy used to be Garfield Mark Logan, the only son of Marie and Mark Logan. They had no clue what happened to him, that he had contracted Sakutia at the ripe age of between 2 and 4 (even he wasn't quite sure when) and if it weren't for his geneticist parents he would have died. That instead, he had been turned green and given the ability to shape shift by his father's experimental ray, that was originally designed to reverse evolution (by turning him into a green monkey, to be exact). They didn't know that Garfield had been adopted by an African king and was technically the prince of a tribe. The public couldn't imagine that their dear little hero had been kidnapped by two jewel thieves and taken to Johannesburg, or that he'd led an army of gorillas to revolt against their captors, like a general instructing soldiers. They didn't know that he had watched his parents die, that he had just watched them as they slid over the edge into their deafening graves when he'd had the power to save them. They were completely unaware that he had been responsible for the deaths of his kidnappers, that he had watched them too, his young eyes wide as they shot each other, his young voice stalled in his throat. They were blissfully unaware that their very own pet changeling had once been America's most wanted eight year old. They had _no_ idea that he had once been a thief himself, stealing "Easter eggs from the Easter Bunny" and "yellow blocks to play with". The people of Jump City, protectorate of the Teen Titans, of Beast Boy, could never imagine how well Stokes and Kurt had coached him.

And, probably the most important, the most disturbing thing that they didn't know, was that Beast Boy was hearing voices, a voice to be specific, telling him what he needed to do... and he was obeying. Zinara had told him to get the Half Heart, but more than that, she had told him to be discreet. She'd said that no one could know it was him, that they wouldn't understand what they were trying to do. And she was right, he knew that now; what they were doing wasn't wrong or misguided, it was necessary; but the others wouldn't, couldn't understand that, they would try and stop him from freeing her. He couldn't have that. So, as much as it used to bother him, he had to keep the others from discovering his plans,and the best way to do that was to actually make plans. The best way not to get caught is to have an unbreakable alibi, to have a perfectly good explanation for why you could possibly be suspect, and, if your innocent eyes don't work, to pin it on someone else. Now that was the tricky part, finding someone who would be interested in robbing a museum in the first place, so the event itself wouldn't be suspicious, then talking them into helping him. None of Jump's "super" super villains, Slade, the Hive Five, Brother Blood, ect., would work since a) they would never even consent to a meeting, b) if he got that far, they would try and manipulate him into giving up something he'd rather not in exchange, and probably succeed, considering his current desperation, and c) they were just too neat for the job. Big super villains were arrogant, their ego well earned, but a little too flaunted none the less. They were quite capable of slipping in and out unnoticed, like shadows across the floor, but had a nasty tendency of tripping the alarm to annoy the Titans or just for fun. They were fully aware of their abilities and, unlike the Titans, were unafraid to unleash their wrath on any one who dared to oppose them, witch usually landed them in jail or with a grudgingly defeated opponent. But did they ever intentionally get caught, no. They flaunted their abilities, danced just out of reach as if to put on a show, but they never threw themselves into the warden's waiting arms. No one would ever believe that one of the evil icons of the city had stooped to looting a small museum exhibit for nothing more than a piece of quarts witch emitted bizarre, yet harmless radiation at pulsating intervals.

On the other hand, some petty thug off the street would be of no help either. They were too sloppy, too predictable. It was only rarely that one of them even got past the first set of alarms, and even when they did, they still seemed completely unaware of the silent alarm systems and cameras. How they managed that, Beast Boy had absolutely no clue, though he did try and ask once after they'd caught a particularly stupid duo, earning himself a slap across the face from Raven and the honor of having some new profanities he wasn't even aware existed thrown at him. He didn't bother to ask what they meant, too honored to have been selected as their test subject to really care. Small criminals were more likely to just role over like dogs at his feet, but they also had bigger mouths. If word got out that he was asking favors of the gum on Jump's shoe, well, the media would be happy. Unfortunately, Beast Boy would be in a padded room waring some kind of demonic strait jacket that could stretch to fit a mammoth with doctors poking, prodding, asking unwanted questions. Besides, even if some little pick pocket did manage to do as he asked, the job would be too tiny for the Titans, the police would storm in and take care of it and Beast Boy would be back at square one. An entire plan wasted. Wouldn't even be worth trying.

So that left him with someone in the middle, one of the 'wanna be' super villains that prowled the alleys of Jump like a kitten int the jungle, trying to compete with the tigers. No, kitten inferred that they could 'grow up' and get better, more like a lost house cat hunting the panther's prey. One of the little guys that got stepped on, thrown in jail, managed to dig out using sporks, tried the same thing again, got caught and laughed at, thrown back in jail, found some other creative way out, and repeated the cycle till Judgment Day. This type of criminal was neat enough to get in, but just sloppy enough to get caught on their way to the exit due to some stupid mistake like victory dancing across the laser beam. They were arrogant enough to challenge the Titans, but so afraid for their wealth, power, and lives that it wouldn't take too many negative incentives to get them to fetch. They were rather pathetic on many levels, but just dangerous enough to be out of the common cops league, what with their usually manufactured abilities. And, most importantly of all, they were unpredictable, a random element in an otherwise ordered system, a wild card in the game of Go Fish the villains of Jump played. Whatever they did, whether it was streaking or breaking into some strange, original place for the sake of being the first to break in, no one was surprised. These criminals were practically incapable of doing anything that didn't seem to coincide with their own, demented little agendas. They break in, make some noise, knock a few things over, the Titans get called in, they hide, Titans look, Garfield gets what Garfield wants, bad guy slips away, people blame the theft on them. And if the Titans caught his puny pawn, it would be easy enough to convince them the criminal had hidden it. Titans spend the next week looking and by the time they realize that they were the victims of the greatest prank ever, Zinara would be free. Piece of cake with mint frosting. Now all he had to do was set the stage, and Beast Boy had a prop in mind.

He sat on a hill about 50 feet from the Jump middle security prison, scrutinizing it smugly. His eyes, glinting a sickly shade of yellow in the moonlight, narrowed, his lips twisting slightly. At his side, a large hunk of recently repaired red metal lay, like a fallen giant, or a host waiting for the return of its symbiont. Enemies made dangerous friends, but effective enough puppets, especially when you had little to no problem with cutting the strings as soon as they resisted, so to speak. Besides, there is something oddly satisfying, if not exceedingly childish, about watching someone you don't like get in trouble. Same goes for manipulating your least favorite person, getting the mouse to go exactly where you want it to, toying with your prey before you go in for the kill. A primal smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he took a deep breath to calm himself anyway. There was no use in getting distracted. Zinara was not impatient, but she did have a knack for making him feel anxious. Slowly, Beast Boy exhaled, the yellow in his eyes fading to a luminous emerald, his senses sharpening. The dry air of dusk, perfumed by moist grass and dandelions, tickled the back of his throat. The shadows melted away as the earth pulled them into itself with all color, leaving only sharp, gray images to the horizon, clear and perfect. His breath slid past his lips, warming them before the chilled night air flowed across his tongue, bringing the near by peaches with it. A cat screeched loudly on the edges of Jump and a cricket began to sing somewhere behind him, and in the distance, he could hear the collective breath of the prison, the mutters of the prison guards, the conspiring and gloating of the stock. Beast Boy tilted his head to the side in an almost inhuman way, allowing his spine to crack loudly.

Before the grass could straiten, he was gone, streaking across the field silently. He didn't slow, he didn't pause, his presence little more than a breeze to any one not watching. The security systems were tight, motion and heat sensors rigged to the alarm system, cameras everywhere, 'power proof' doors and wiring, a rich variety of barriers to keep people in and out, there were even anti-demon runes on the walls. Robin had personally tested every conceivable entrance, forcing improvements until neither Starfire or Cyborg could blast their way through and even the great Boy Wonder himself couldn't make it past the third blockade without at least tripping an alarm. Raven had been able to simply teleport past anything that might have possibly had any effect on her any way, hence the anti- demon runes. They hadn't thought to test Beast Boy, since if a super strong alien, a cyborg, a half- demon and the prime choice to be Slade's apprentice couldn't make it, then what chance did a beaver have. Yes, all things considered, the prison was quite formidable, it was really quite amazing that its contents managed to get out so often... good planning, perhaps. So why was he so confident? The reason wasn't terribly complicated, a simple matter of logic really. See, all it's daunting walls, in all their glory, only applied it you happened to be human (shaped any way) and had a set mass. The ventilation system, the structure's only conceivable weakness, a flaw that only existed because of sheer necessity, was indeed narrow, just big enough to push a thin stream of air into the compound and between the cells, just big enough for a finger, _just_ big enough for northern hairy-nosed wombat, though not by much. He slipped through the vents as a gnat, letting the air current pull him in, shifting as soon as he was clear, speeding down the shaft, only pausing to sniff out his target or check to make sure he hadn't managed to trip some type of alarm. Hell would freeze over first, but he couldn't allow himself to get caught, least of all here.

Adonis was sitting on what passed as his bed, stick legs dangling to the ground, chin propped in his open palm, probably venting about his latest failed attempt at greatness. He was staring moodily at the wall in front of him, as though it was somehow responsible for his predicament, his gaze so intent that he didn't notice the small, emerald primate slide down his wall. He didn't see it look at him smugly and begin to contort and grow, nor did he see it become a green man in the shadows. It wasn't until Beast Boy snorted in amusement that the villain even knew he had company. Clearly annoyed, he turned sharply to protest, but the words died on his lips, coming out as more of a choked exhale than anything. Emerald eyes glinted in the darkness, not quite yellow, but still almost glowing, a slim figure appeared to tower dangerously, the shadows twisting its shape into something so far from it's true form it was almost laughable. In a way, this twisted creature made more sense than what stepped forward.

"Hello Adonis," said the changeling casually, giving him a dark grin. The villain almost stepped back, but, regaining his composure, instead elected to get closer, jutting his chin out and pulling himself up to his full height.

"Come to get your butt whooped, shrimp," he challenged cockily. Garfield's grim spread, but nothing else moved. His eyes glinted strangely as he met Adonis's gaze, sending goose bumps across his skin. "Well?" Garfield remained silent and still, grinning, amused. Adonis ground his teeth, his nostrils flaring nervously. He had fought this boy before, beaten him easily, claimed his prize over the vocal objections of this little twerp. True, at their last meeting, he had been on the loosing side, but that's only because he was having a bad day. There was little doubt in his mind that if they fought again, he would win, even without his suit. Yet there was something, maybe it was the way his eyes seemed to glow, or that grin of his, or the overall feeling that it was someone else in the changeling's skin, that was making that doubt grow, bubbling up inside him. He set his jaw determinedly and prepared to strike. No answer was as good as a 'hit me' for Adonis. Before he had finished forming a fist he was kneeling on the ground, clutching his stomach. Garfield squatted beside him, still grinning. "What- the hell is- wrong- with you," he gasped before he could think of something more insulting.

"You know, there's something almost, I don't know... cute about you when you think you can beat me," Garfield commented casually. "Like a puppy barking at a wolf. Of course, the puppy doesn't stand a chance, that's a little sad. But the funny part is... _he_ doesn't seem to know that." Adonis snarled, his pride unable to withstand the bashing, and attempted to knock Garfield of his feet. The changeling lept nimbly out of the way, pushing off the wall and landing lightly on Adonis's back. "Like I said," he whispered into his ear, his fingers finding his hair. "Almost cute... but not quite." He yanked back, causing Adonis's head to jerk and a sharp yelp to slip between his teeth.

"And what makes you so confident all of a sudden? You're girlfriend finally give you a pity date," he hissed, his lips twisting into something between a sneer and a grimace. Garfield raised his eye brows, smirk almost faltering. Adonis's grin grew smugly, feeling truly pleased with himself; Garfield rolled his eyes and pulled back again, relishing his moment of pain.

"Be quiet," he said lazily, releasing Adonis and moving towards what appeared to be the door, inspecting it. Adonis got up quickly, rubbing his head and scrutinizing the green boy. Sure, he looked like the annoying little Titan, but there was just something... wrong about him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but his muscles had tensed and every fiber of his being was telling him to run. But the male ego is a surprisingly suicidal force. With a war cry, Adonis took another swing at the back of Garfield's head, grinning triumphantly when he didn't react. Next thing he knew, he was on his knees again with his wrist in a painfully twisted position before him, staring into a pair of gleaming green eyes. "Perhaps I picked the wrong person," the green boy mused quietly. "If you can't even follow a simple direction, then how can I expect you to be of any use to me? Oh well, there are others." Adonis opened his mouth to demand what he meant by that, but he didn't have time to get past the first syllable. Garfield threw him carelessly across the room, slamming him into the opposite wall. Before he could slide down to collapse on the cement floor, the changeling had caught him again, pinning his throat to the wall with his forearm. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His feet were slowly being lifted from the ground, his back grinding harshly against the cement wall. Slowly, his vision started to darken, everything but Garfield's green eyes flickering. He was going to die, the changeling was going to strangle him in his own cell, and the last thing he would see would be that idiot's smirking face. No, he was meant for more than this, for more than to be murdered for talking out of line, he couldn't let it end like that-

"Wait- wait," he choked out, barely conscious, hands clawing futilely at Garfield's arm. The changeling looked annoyed, his grin sliding into a line, his lips pouting forward slightly. "Wait- please- wait," Adonis pleaded, barely audible.

"What, do you want to say your 'last words'? You want me to get you a last meal," said Garfield sarcastically. Then his mouth twisted back into its smirk, his eyes gleaming in the half-light. "Or have you decided you can be a good little human?"

"Yes," Adonis muttered hesitantly. Garfield pressed against his throat harder, squeezing the breath out of him. "Yes," he said louder, closing his eyes in humiliation. Garfield released him, allowing him to crumple to the floor, gasping. He scooted away from the changeling, grasping his neck.

"What in the world made you choose the name Adonis any way," Garfield asked, casually leaning against the wall across from the recovering man, his eyes luminous. He didn't respond, refusing to give the green boy the satisfaction of hearing him answer. "I know the myth of Adonis, the ever-youthful, annually-renewed vegetation God. Something tells me that that's not who you thought he was though. You were probably going off of the more modern idea that he's some kind of super-man. Is that who you're trying to be, a super-man? Is that why you named yourself after him?" Adonis set his jaw stubbornly, attempting to use the wall to help himself back to his feet. Garfield watched, and grinned... that feral grin that sent shivers down his spine and goosebumps across his skin. "It's kinda sad, actually," Garfield continued coolly. "Don't you wanna know why." There it was, a flicker of the Titan, a flicker of Beast Boy. Adonis turned to face him, bolder than was probably wise.

"Why's that," he bit off the rest of his comment, loving life too much to throw it away on something as stupid as insulting a changeling when he was stuck in a cage with it. Garfield's feral grin widened, Beast Boy was gone again.

"Because you're nothing more than a pathetic human, a parasite, a plague. You can try all you want, you can try to be great, try to be worth something, but in the end, it's just not in your blood. But you know what makes humanity so incredibly annoying, what takes away all compassion that I would feel for any other type of animal?" Garfield's voice had taken on a strange type of resonance, vibrating powerfully in the air, echoing around the room, his eyes a sickly yellow green. Adonis stepped back, nodding meekly. "It's that you don't seen to realize that. You think you're the greatest thing that ever walked this planet, that every other creature must be inferior, that their only purpose is to serve you in whatever manner you see fit and then die. You expect to rule the word, you can't even decide which of your own breeds is better, which one id 'more worthy'. It's sickening. And you're the worst of the worst, the sludge at the bottom of the all ready disgusting pit, you and all others like you. A human, trying to compete with his betters, trying to be what he so clearly is not," Garfield snorted, his nostrils flaring as if he could smell something particularly putrid. "Trying to fly when you quite obviously never had and never will have wings. And the worst part is, you actually thing you've done it. It's pitiful."

"If you hate me so much, then why the visit," demanded Adonis, concentrating more on not hitting Garfield than what he was saying. The changeling relaxed slightly, his eyes fading back to their luminous emerald.

"Because," ha stated calmly, as if he couldn't remember his speech not two seconds before. "I need a wind up mouse to set loose in the museum. It would be so much more dramatic if I could say that I need you for this, but I really don't. There are plenty of others that are equally well suited to this task."

"Then why me? Wouldn't you rather I 'rot in here'? Isn't that what you Titans tell me every time you throw me back into this cell, 'You can just rot in here'."

"Do you want the truth?" Adonis scoweled, which Garfield took as a 'please, I would love it if you would tell me the truth,' and proceeded. "I really don't like you, I can't really say why at the moment, I just _really _don't like you. They know that, so if you're running loose, they're more likely to let me come on the hunt. And there's something there, at the museum, that I need, something they stole. But, a Titan turning thief? That's just a little to ironic for my tastes. So I send you in to make a racket and hide. The Titans come looking for you, giving me a chance to take what I need, you go free, go putter around Gotham for all I care, until you do something stupid and get caught again, I keep my clean name, every one goes home happy. So, you in or out?"

"What happens if I'm out," Adonis asked cautiously.

"Well, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you. Can't have you gossiping about my little visit, you understand," shrugged Garfield casually.

"You can't kill me."

"Can't?" Garfield's luminous eyes locked onto his, amused and dangerous.

"Can't, you're a Titan, you probably don't even know how to kill. Your record's clean as a new born's conscience."

"You'd be surprised," grinned Garfield, back to his earlier, cocky state. "But is that really a risk you're willing to take?" Adonis stared at him, shocked, afraid. Those eyes... who's ever they were, were serious, and they found the prospect... entertaining. He swallowed hard and nodded.

"I'm in."

"I thought you might say that. When the doors open, you'll be given a clear path out of here. You're suit is about 50 feet to the East. Put it on and head strait to the museum. Don't get caught on your way there, but do trip some sort of alarm after you've been inside long enough to leave a trail in every room. When the Titans show up, hide. As soon as they're distracted, make a run for it. What happens after that isn't my concern. It'll be at least a day, so don't get too antsy, you'll make the guards suspicious."

"The Titans are going to be distracted, allowing me to make my escape," said Adonis sceptically.

"Trust me, they'll be distracted, just don't stay to watch the show," Garfield called over his shoulder. "Oh, and Adonis, try to keep your mouth shut about this, or I might have to kill you any way," his eyes flashed a glowing, yellow-green, his fangs gleaming in the light as he smiled fiendishly. He held up one hand carelessly for inspection, watching casually as his gloved fingers lengthened into claws. He flexed these, cracking the knuckles to make his point. Adonis bit his tongue. "See you soon, human." and with that, he disappeared back into the air vent, leaving Adonis blissfully alone again. All the villain could do was back up into his bed and collapse on it, trembling.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Ha! My evil soul is back! You thought that last one was big! Well, I did, but then I sat down and wrote this one! And I didn't even get through everything I was hoping to!I just feel so bad about leaving all of you hanging for such long periods of time. I've probably lost readers because of it. Stupid Kilarra! whacks self on head Any who, I'd just like to say, thank you to all of you amazing people who have stayed with me even when I was a bit of a slacker and didn't update when I was supposed to, your patience is Saint-like! And thank you to all those who have endured my typos, your patience is also Saint-like! I have asked someone to be my 'Beta Reader' (remarkable creation) so with any luck, we can start cutting down on those little slip-ups. If she/he consents, I'll repost this chapter once it has been typo-checked. But for now I just want to get something up. Also, I have made an important discovery! During the week long choir concert, the week before finals (which I like to call mini-finals week since half the teachers decide to start finals early and the other half decide to give out unit tests) and finals week, my little muse gets knocked into a coma. Very tragic, I do not wish this experience on anybody. Then, for the first few days of summer, I slip into a bit of a vegetative state myself. But the good news is that I have pulled myself together and my Muse has woken up with a vengeance, which has led to the creation of this mammoth chapter! So read and enjoy! And review, you know I'm always looking for stuff to work on! Plus, you comments make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! Oh, and by the way, I'm going to be in Japan for the next two weeks, so those aren't my fault.**

**P.S. CrzYmAn676, I have tried to add in some more humor into this chapter in the form of opening dialog, though it does end on a bit of a serious note. Tell me if I succeeded. **

**Disclaimer: Je ne owne rien! (My French isn't actually this bad, I've been studying for four years. But this way, even people who don't speak or read the language can understand that I'm saying that I don't own anything! See, that was me being clever.)**

"But Robin," Beast Boy wined, dropping to his knee, grasping Robins cape pathetically. He had been in this position, or something similar for about half an hour now, but Robin wasn't budging. He was standing with his back to the begging boy, attempting not to humiliate Beast Boy or himself any more than was necessary. His arms were folded sternly across his chest, his face set in stone.

"No," he said flatly for about the hundredth time, refusing to make eye contact.

"But Robin!" Beast Boy's voice rose half an octave, an impressive feat under any circumstances, as he slumped forward. They were just behind the couch, having migrated there after Cyborg had complained about not being able to see the TV screen. Of course, he wasn't watching anyway, finding the scene before him much more interesting than any soap opera or action flick that would have been showing anyway. His face was torn between suppressed laughter at just how ridiculous his friends looked, and a thoughtful expression indicating the internal debate on whether or not to intervene on Beast Boy's behalf. God knew Starfire was... then again, Starfire's odds of getting her insides rearranged by Robin were considerably lower than Cyborg's. Besides, Robin kinda had a point.

"Friend Robin, please listen," implored Starfire, floating just in front of Robin's face, her chilled breath tickling his nose. "Friend Beast Boy has been doing the 'sitting out' for a very long time. Is it not reasonable to allow him to return now?"

"Yeah! Come on! I'm getting fat!"

"Go to the training room."

"Rooooooooooobiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnn!"

"Friend Robin, what plausible reason is there for keeping him here? It is true, one may go to the place of the 'work out' if one is gaining the weight, but it is terribly dull to do the same thing over and over and over-"

"What she said!"

"Starfire, I understand where you're coming from-"

"What about me?"

"Fine, Starfire _and Beast Boy, _I understand where you both are coming from, but your forgetting one little thing."

"I told you! We were out of tofu! What kind of vegan would I be if I hadn't at least tried to go restock?"

"You forgot your wallet."

"I- Hey! How would you know that?" The Titans were skillfully avoiding eye contact at this point, each one with a guilty sign hung around their necks. "You searched my room?!"Beast Boy pushed himself to his feet indignantly. He was pouting, frustrated.

"Friend Beast Boy, you weren't there and we were worried."

"Dudes! That is so not cool! I can't believe you would do that to me!"

"Hey man, would you have preferred we sound the alarm and searched the city and ocean?"

"Yeah! 'Cause then you would have found me buying tofu!" A headache was throbbing at Robins temples and he reached up to rub it away. Starfire was beginning to bob up and down nervously. Cyborg had elected to stay on the couch and just continue to shout across the room.

"Without your wallet?"

"The guy owed me. Besides, you're the ones who searched my _room_!"

"Well, we had to check and see if you were there."

"Dude, do you remember what happened the last time you tried that?"

"We did apologize for seeing you in the bath tub. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding."

"What if I had been changing again? Are you guy's, like, trying to see me naked or something? Is there, like, this new green dude craze I don't know about?"

"Don't be disgusting."

"Don't change the subject, Beast Boy!"

"Look, we get back, find Raven scrubbing the fridge like a mad woman and mumbling about how much of an idiot you are, the windows cracked, and the remote levitating. So we go to see if you're still alive and maybe to find out what happened-"

"That's private!"

"Ohh! Did something good happen between you and friend Raven? Like the good things that happen between Robin and myself?"

"Star, if it was good, then why would Raven have been calling me an idiot?"

"Whatever, so we go to see if you're still alive and find an empty room. Now after everything that's happened lately what were we supposed to think?"

"I don't know! But you weren't supposed to go around snooping in my private personal space!"

"Have you looked at your room lately? You could have been hiding under all of that crap. You're lucky we didn't step on you!"

"Point being, Beast Boy, that you weren't in the room."

"Because I was buying tofu!"

"From the guy who owed you."

"Yes!"

"What guy?"

"I don't remember what guy, I was a little upset at the time!"

"What did Raven do to you any ways?"

"I told you guys, that's private! If you want to know, ask her!"

"Please come back and sit down, friend Cyborg."

"Why?"

"Because I do not believe that is a wise thing to do, Raven is very upset right now."

"_She's_ upset!"

"What did you say to her?"

"It's private!"

"Where did you get the tofu from?"

"I wasn't paying attention!"

"So you just magically went to a guy that you don't know who works at a place you don't know but he owes you?"

"Dude they all owe me!"

"Where's the tofu?"

"I ate it. Why do you care so much?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Rob, that's not being fair. The little dude deserves to know why you're being so hard on him."

"She told us not to mention it."

"Who told you?"

"He does deserve to know."

"Know what?"

"Raven told us that you had a fight-"

"That was private!"

"She didn't tell us what it was about or any details, just that she's worried about you and didn't think it was safe for you to be out yet."

"Whatever, she's just mad at me."

"Come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure that's what she said."

"I believe her exact words were 'I don't care where he is, probably flirting with his fish girl again' if I am remembering correctly."

"I'd say that's a pretty clear way of saying 'I think Beast Boy may have left the Tower.'"

"Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what she meant."

"Point being that she told us not to mention that particular comment to Beast Boy."

"Dude, I can't believe she would say some thing like that about me. I mean, I can, but... fish girl? That's just low."

"She was just frustrated. You know as well as anyone that she's worried sick."

"Yeah, that's the phrase, 'worried sick'."

"Don't be so cynical B, we're all worried." Starfire nodded enthusiastically.

"That's why we've decided that you should sit out just a few more missions until we're sure you're back to your old self."

"Hey, don't go dragging me into this! I'm with the grass stain on this one."

"Robin, who is this 'we' you speak of? I did not partake in the making of this decision and neither, apparently, did friend Cyborg."

"Me and Raven."

"I was expecting something like this from Raven, she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, B, don't go over exaggerating. There may be a few times when she gets a little annoyed, but hate?" Beast Boy just continued talking, completely ignoring his bionic friend. Cyborg frowned, aggravated.

"But you, Robin? Can't you see, I am my old self! Why won't you just listen to me!?"

"Beast Boy, it's just a few more missions-"

"Yeah, then it'll be a few more, then a few more." When one tactic stops working, it's time to switch tactics. With a grave expression, Beast Boy pulled his arms down from the overly dramatic position they had previously occupied. "If you don't want me in the field, the why don't you just kick me off the Team?"

"_That _was low."

"Friend Beast Boy, you must know none of us feel that way!" Beast Boy was furious, his hands balled into fists, his eyes burning, his jaw tense. He looked, tall, imposing, threatening. He looked... frightening, not like the Beast Boy they knew. But it was still Beast Boy

"We're just concerned, that's all."

"If you're so concerned, the why won't you just give me a chance! I can still fight, I can still be useful! I'm not going to go rogue on you, I'm not going to just go randomly jumping into oceans and off cliffs, I'm not going to switch sides in the middle of a battle because some pretty voice told me so! I'm not crazy! I'm FINE! I'm ME! Why won't you believe me?!" He was fuming, angry beyond reason, as he had been when he had made up his mind to finally go after Terra. Had he met Slade at that moment, there was little doubt in any of the Titan's minds that he would have been able to hold his own easily. Robin turned, finally meeting his livid gaze with his own icy, calculating one. There was a silence, a tense, charged silence that sounded ten times louder than the yelling before, and ten times more dangerous. There were two things that could have happened, a) the situation could have been resolved or b) the fight could have come to blows. Robin narrowed his eyes, choosing his next words carefully.

"Why are you getting so upset over this?" Beast Boy looked shocked at first, like Robin had, in fact just hit him. Then his jaw set and his frown deepened, as though the answer was obvious as a neon sign.

"Because I'm sick of being treated like I'm some kind of traitor," he answered quietly. "Sure, I was acting kinda weird there for a bit, but I'm OK now, I'm not made of glass. I know it was probably pretty strange there for a while, but I've been through worse, you guys know that. I'm not crazy, not possessed, not impaired in any way. It's just so... frustrating, to know that, despite all of this, you still think you need to keep me in a padded room. Just, give me a chance, that's all I'm asking for." This silence was heavier than the last. Not necessarily more foreboding, or more tense, or worse in any way. Just... heavy. Starfire landed at Robin's side, placing her hand on his shoulder. Cyborg scrutinized his friends, checking their vitals with one eye and their faces with the other. Robin stared at Beast Boy in very much the same way a teacher evaluates his students before handing out a particularly difficult and important exam.

On one hand Beast Boy was right, he didn't deserve to be locked up and judged. He had given him no reason to doubt his loyalties of capabilities or even his sanity lately. Yes, he had gone for a bit of an odd, midnight swim and scared the crap out of the whole Team, but that had been weeks ago. Could he take the risk of loosing Beast Boy's trust and friendship over suspicion? Truthfully, all he had was Raven's word that Beast Boy had been acting strangely recently. But shouldn't that be enough? On the other hand, there were the zillions of warning bells that just hadn't quieted since the warehouse incident. There was Raven, who didn't have a history of lying or being wrong and Beast Boy who, well, did. Never for malicious reasons, but if it got him what he needed, then Beast Boy would say anything. And there was the safety of the city to consider. Could he risk Jump on the words of a changeling who was obeying voices in his head? Could he take the chance that Beast Boy was lying now and leave his charges at the mercy of a rogue Titan?

Then there was Beast Boy himself. His arms were limp at his sides, his eyes gazing boldly at him, his face ridged. He had laid his soul bare for the world to see, had said what he felt. No tricks. He had made his case, now it was out of his hands. In that moment, he looked like an angry child, fragile, weak, tiny, like one little word would shatter him, snap his will in two. He looked as though one little word would send him through the roof, return the youthful brilliance to his eyes, the buoyancy to his stance, the vibrancy to his voice. He looked like Robin had the power to send him to the graveyard or return his wings. He looked like Beast Boy, but there was still something... off about him, like he wasn't quite who he used to be. He was volatile, that wasn't knew, but to this extreme? There could still have been something wrong with him, but it could have been Robin over analyzing or making stuff up just as easily. He didn't know. What was he supposed to say?! How could he find a way to win in this situation? The silence thickened, pressing in around them, almost darkening their vision with its intensity. Then it was shattered. Alarms blared, stunningly loud, red lights flashed, their brightness almost painful. Beast Boy blinked, covering his ears. Robin took one little glance at the screen to see the location of the attack and dashed to the door, disparate to postpone the decision. Starfire and Cyborg followed silently, trying not to look at the livid expression on Beast Boy's face. As the doors slid open, Robin paused.

"Tell Raven she's on observation for this one," He said without looking back. Beast Boy growled audibly, causing him to pause again. "We'll call you if we need you." And with that he sped to the garage, letting the doors slide back into place. Beast Boy crumpled to the floor, tears of frustration welling in his eyes.

"Damn," he cursed, slamming his fist into the carpeted floor. All his begging, his pleading, his yelling, it had been for nothing. He was still stuck on the sidelines, still obsolete. At this rate he really was going to get fat. He hit the ground again. He had made a total idiot out of himself and for what? So that Robin could just say 'thanks but no thanks' and ditch him? What had he done to deserve this? He was fine! He felt great, he felt like the Energizer Bunny, he felt like he could take on the world! But no, that didn't matter. None of it mattered. One little screw up and your out for life! And again. Caged like some kind of rabid animal, fated never to be free again! There was a sharp, slicing pain as his knuckles split. Warm blood swelled to the surface, seeping into his glove and cooling uncomfortably. He yelped, grabbing his hand and squeezing his eyes closed. Fools, didn't they realize he didn't deserve this? Didn't they realize he had somewhere he needed to be? Didn't they know he had something he needed to do? Someone depending on him, someone who needed him? His breath caught in his throat, causing him to choke quietly, a satin humming flowing across his ears. That's right, he had someone who needed him, someone he had promised to help. Zinara. She was counting on him, to get back what they stole, to free her from her prison. She had chosen him, over all the Robins and Ravens out there, picked him to be her deliverer. She needed him like no one had ever needed him before. He couldn't let a simple thing like Robin's disapproval stand between him and her salvation.

He squeezed his hand, a grin not quite his own twisting his lips, the humming opening into a wordless melody. True, he was stuck in the Tower, to leave would land him in a rather hot seat with Robin and raise a bit of a suspicious flag above his head. But that didn't steal all of his control over the situation. Far from it, actually, Robin had given him an extra set of cards; he had said that he'd call if they needed him. Well, they were going to need him. More than that, they were going to want him. After all, the seeds of guilt were already taking root inside of Robin, it wouldn't take anything more than the slightest encouragement from Starfire or Cyborg to get him to make that call, and then Garfield would have his opening, his excuse, his alibi. It would be simple, far easier than he could have hoped. Best case scenario, Robin would have buckled and agreed to let him on the next mission, and then he'd send out Adonis, but the likelihood of that happening was low to begin with. No all things considered, he was in a pretty good situation, his pieces were all in place, each step of the trap just waiting to be triggered, his messengers awaiting his signal. Garfield wasn't the idiot he pretended to be; he listened to Robin's strategic lectures, encouraged Cyborg's technical rants, he even watched the news. Anyone who had payed any attention to his more technical pranks would know that, but most of the Titans were too busy avoiding them or scolding him to admire their simple, ingenious design. And it was just amazing how quickly one could learn when the material was interesting. Yes, he knew what he was doing when it came to setting up an elaborate, or a basic, sequence of events. All it would take to get him from point A to point B was a little press of a button on his communicator. Hacking and rewiring things to do what he wanted (mostly go boom, he was a male teen, after all) was interesting. On his last little visit to Adonis' cell, he had created a little rat maze, a clear path from his cell to the exit and straight on to Jump's core, for his rather fondly dubbed 'wind-up-mouse' under the pretense of checking the security systems for the Titans. Granted, there was no such check up scheduled, and even if there had been, the green changeling was certainly the last person anyone would have expected to see working on a computer system, but that was explained away easily enough, after all, nobody wants an angry Cyborg on their case for delaying an essential check up because they thought his best friend was too incompetent to handle anything above a children's play set. That had taken some time, what with the warden throwing him suspicious looks from the doorway every minute-and-a-half, but it was done and half a calorie away from reality. Garfield pushed himself up, grinning, his eyes the most emerald shade of yellow-green. Now was the ideal time to set things in motion, the perfect moment.

Slowly, he reached for the communicator at his belt, his eyes luminous. 'But wait,' whispered a little voice in the back of his mind. He froze, his hand going ridged a centimeter away from the device. 'This is wrong. I'm a Titan, I shouldn't be doing this.' Garfield frowned, irritated. This was a rather inopportune moment to be developing a conscience. 'I've always had a conscience. That's how I know that this is over the top.' He ran his fingers through his hair, as if he could some how pull out the voice along with a few loose strands. "It's too late for that," he muttered to himself. "To turn around now would be just as immoral as to keep moving. Besides, she needs me, I made a promise. I can't go back now." The voice seemed reluctant, but it fell silent none the less. For a moment, he just stood there with his hand in his hair, letting the song sooth away his mild headache. Then his smirk spread and he continued to reach for the trigger. There was nothing in his way, nothing but-

"Beast Boy, what's going on?" Her harsh voice sliced through the air like a chainsaw through warm butter. Abruptly, and rather painfully, the song ceased, leaving nothing but the faintest echo. He started, his grin falling, his eyes returning to their forest color.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he answered as coolly as he could, not looking at her. "Robin says your on babysitting detail for this one too." He felt dizzy, disoriented, black spots flashing across his vision briefly as he reached out to grasp the couch for support.

"Not again," she muttered to herself, an odd note in her voice. Beast Boy stared at her, curious. There was Raven, looking just like Raven, her cloak draped around her shoulders, hood down, hair groomed but not styled, sounding like Raven, annoyed and cold, even smelling like Raven. Her lilac sent tickled his nose affectionately, her violet eyes daring him to find what was off. "Robin must just enjoy putting us together," she rationalized, not looking at him directly. That was it! It was Raven all right, and she was feeling... awkward. Around him. That was right, they'd had a fight, a fight she hadn't necessarily won. He was mad at her. Frowning, he turned his back to her, hiding his hand from view.

"I don't know what you did to make him mad," he said in his best scathing voice. "But I don't think you're going to see any action until I do."

"Don't be ridiculous, they just all left before I came out and decided not to waste time waiting for me." Her voice was its usual monotone, cold and painfully logical. He winced at the sound, immediately regretting his words. He didn't want to waste this moment arguing with her the way he had. They didn't have mush time left before... before... Raven paid no attention to his silence, instead electing to go brew herself a mug of herbal tea.

"That's something I've been haring a lot lately," he said absently, a small part of him hoping she would continue talking to him. He missed their light banter, he _needed _that banter, that last wisp of normalcy.

"What is," she asked, more of a mechanical response than any form of curiosity.

"Don't," he said simply, his gaze moving to his hand. Odd, it looked terrible, black and mangled, but it didn't seem to hurt. That's not entirely accurate, it hurt, just not as much as another wounded part of him. Why, he couldn't say, but he felt like a pile of misery had landed on him the second Raven walked through the door. Like something big was about to happen, something that would change things forever. Like in a matter of days, he would loose her. "Don't be like this, don't be like that, all day. It's getting... annoying."

"Well, then stop." Blunt, harsh, but there was some feeling behind the words, something she wasn't saying. Beast Boy stared at her back, blinking in confusion.

"Stop what? Being an idiot? Sorry, no can do Rae. You should know that." A small smile graced his lips, some of the heavy air thinning. Perhaps something was about to happen, but he didn't need to worry about that now. Things were so much nicer when you could just forget; forget your fears, your worries, your tasks, and just let the scene unfold without any preparation. Forget the person you were a moment ago... forget that it was bothering you.

"That's not what I was referring to," she sighed, a playful sharpness creeping into her voice. Beast Boy grinned, amused by her tone and the narrow-eyed expression she was throwing him over her shoulder. "I meant stop trying to be someone you're not."

"Someone I'm not," Beast Boy repeated slowly, his brow wrinkling. "What's that supposed to mean?" Raven frowned, not sure how to answer. Would 'You are Beast Boy' be too obvious? Or would it be too incomplete? "So far its been disgusting, cynical, and ridiculous. I'm all of those things anyway, so how am I not being myself," he muttered, listing the incidents on his fingers and staring at the ceiling. "I mean, being someone else. Or wait, what? Dude, how does that even make any sense? Ah, my brain hurts." Beast Boy grabbed his head, letting his hands run down his face dramatically. His fingers caught the skin, contorting his eyes and lips. Raven frowned, turning to face him, her eyes exasperated.

"Beast Boy," she snapped, cutting off his antics. Beast Boy dropped his hands, giving her a poutie face as she crossed to the couch, grasping her burning mug. "First off, you're not disgusting. You get incredibly close on a regular basis, as a matter of fact, you almost cross that line at least once a day." Beast Boy crossed his arms, a look of mock offense on his face.

"So then you're saying that I am disgusting?"

"Trust me, Beast Boy, I've seen disgusting, and you're not it."

"But I'm close, right?"

"Secondly," Raven continued, ignoring his comment and sipping her tea. "You're not cynical. You're about the least cynical person I've met."

"What about Starfire?"

"Have you ever heard her when she thinks Robin may like someone else?"

"Good point. Fine, but that still leaves ridiculous. And you're the one who called me that."

"In response to your comment about my doing something to make Robin angry," she shot back, setting her mug down on the table and folding her arms. "That_ was_ ridiculous." Beast Boy snorted, pointedly looking away from her. "You, however, are not. There are moments when you do get very close, but I've usually kept you from going overboard."

"Is that what you're doing when you toss me across the room," he teased, grinning brightly.

"It works doesn't it," she shot back, a smile shining in her eyes.

"Yeah, maybe it works, but it also hurts. Hey, that rhymed," Beast Boy cried gleefully, throwing his hands to either side of him like he was preparing to do some sort of dance. Instead, he just banged his hand against the couch. A sharp pain shot up his arm and his hand began to throb. He gasped in surprise, grabbing it instinctively.

"What is it," Raven asked, cloaked concern in her voice as she moved over to him.

"It's noting," he insisted, trying to pull away from her. She ignored his attempts, grabbing his hand and tugging the glove off. It wasn't particularly serious as far as the actual injury went, but it looked bad. Blood had ceased to ooze, but it was smeared all over the green skin, tinting it a sickly brown. "I just banged myself is all." Raven held it softly, throwing him a skeptical look.

"I'm sure that's exactly what happened," she said sarcastically, her hands glowing blue as she began to heal the wound.

"Soooooo," Said Beast Boy, taking advantage of her silence to restart the conversation. "If I'm not ridiculous, then what am I?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on, it's a fair question. Besides, after all the insults I've gotten from you, I think I deserve at least one complement."

"I've complemented you before," she argued, frowning. He smirked at her, pleased by her evasion. "Besides, what makes you think I'm going to complement you now?"

"Simple, you're going to call me something not ridiculous!"

"Idiot."

"Now, Rae, play nice."

"Fine, you're not ridiculous."

"I'm..."

"You're... comic."

"Really," Beast Boy asked enthusiastically, grabbing her hand as she withdrew it. "You mean that?"

"No, Beast Boy, I just said it to get you off my back."

"You really mean it! Gosh, Rae, I don't know what to say!"

"How about 'apology accepted'." Raven withdrew her hand from Beast Boy's grasp and turned to her tea, sitting down on the couch.

"Apology," inquired Beast Boy, leaning over the back so his head was next to hers. "For what?"

"Last time we spoke, you weren't exactly pleased with me," she responded bluntly, not looking at him. "I assumed you'd want an apology."

"What would make you think that?"

"Hmmm, maybe the small fact that you haven't so much as looked at me for the two days since our fight?"

"Rae, we fight all the time. It's not like that was any different. We just haven't had any reason to talk and I figured you would get mad at _me _if I brought it up."

"What's wrong with you, of course it was different." Beast Boy jerked back, surprised by this response. "It was more then a minor misunderstanding or a playful skirmish. Something happened between us, so why are you pretending that it didn't?"

"Well yeah, it happened, but it wasn't like it was a big deal or anything."

"Stop denying-"

"I'm not denying anything!" Raven turned her head sharply, staring right at him with those piercing violet eyes. Beast Boy retreated to the kitchen; she didn't follow, remembering all too vividly what had happened the last time she had chased him. She just starred forward, her eyes on the darkening sky. "Look, so maybe it got a little out of hand and we both ended up saying some stuff that we wish we hadn't, but let's just let it go now."

"Like your suggestion that I should take the next few missions off?"

"Raven, drop it." He wasn't really doing anything in the kitchen, just standing there. Deep down, a part of him felt like an idiot, but he didn't want to be near Raven, not when she was so insistent on discussing things that didn't matter, anyway.

"Is that the real reason why I'm here? Did you take that little suggestion to Robin," she baited, still refusing to even look at him. This was her field, and she was in control.

"You're the one who went talking to Robin! What did you say, that I might be off visiting my Siren, no, not Siren. What was the term you used, fish-girl?" Raven gritted her teeth, scowling. "Seems to me like you're the one who was plotting to keep me locked up in here! Real mature there Rae, I'm proud."

"That's not how I meant it," she snapped twisting around to face him, her face livid. "You're putting words in my mouth!" Beast Boy looked ready to return fire, but when he opened his mouth, all that exited was a choking noise. His eyes widened, his body tensing as he grasped the counter for support. "Beast Boy," she called, but he didn't hear her. The singing had returned with a vengeance, an annoyed, wrathful melody directed right at Raven. He yelped as pain exploded right beneath his ears, grabbing his head and falling to his knees. "Garfield!"

'We don't have time for this,' hissed a voice in his mind, its volume raising above the song. 'Get rid of the girl and press the button! She's waiting.' He couldn't hear, couldn't see; he was falling, falling into a dark place. The voice was overwhelming, he didn't know if he could fight it. Then there was a hand on his shoulder, tugging him back to reality. The song began to quiet reluctantly, the pain to lessen, but he couldn't relax. The voice was still there, and he still wanted control.

"Garfield!" A new voice was calling him from a long ways away. He reached out to that voice, clinging to it like a raft. The hand on his shoulder left and was replaced by another pair positioned over his hands. Something warm was before him, the smell of lilac overpowering his nostrils, the familiarity of this new voice maddening."Garfield, Beast Boy, what's wrong?"

"Raven," he breathed, finally recognizing his savior. The song stopped, silencing the voice along with it, leaving only the slightest echo in the depths of his mind. He slumped forward onto her chest, his breath uneven. 'Raven, what's going on,' he thought at her heart beat pounded in his ear.

"Beast Boy," she said softly but urgently, her arms around him, comforting him. "What was that?"

"I don't know," he said instinctively, closing his eyes and leaning into her. She pulled him off of her, holding him so she could look into his eyes. He refused to meet her gaze, his emerald eyes on the tile, their gaze unfocused.

"Beast Boy, look at me," she commanded. "Look at me!" Slowly, he obeyed, raising his eyes to meet hers. They were tired, and frightened, and confused, not the eyes she had come to know. "Where did you go after our fight?"

"To get tofu," he muttered quietly, trying to look away again. Her she grabbed his arms tightly, staring at him intently.

"Stop lying to me, Beast Boy." His eyes flicked up to meet hers briefly before returning to the tile. "Listen to me. Did you go to see the siren?" He bit his lip, still refusing to look at her. "Did you?"

"No," he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut. "No, I didn't go to see Zinara! Stop asking!"

"Zinara," Raven repeated, releasing him and standing up. Beast Boy leaned back against the cabinets, starring off into space. "Beast Boy, where did you go?"

"To get tofu," he repeated, but he still couldn't look her in the eye. Frustrated, she began to walk back to the door, intent on getting some type of truth serum or something similar. "Wait," he called after her, grabbing the hem of her cloak. As Raven withdrew, the voice and the song returned. He couldn't allow that.

"What? Do you want to answer my question now?"

"Raven, please, I can't."

"Let go." She began to tug at her cloak. Beast Boy stood up and faced her, only releasing the cloth when he was sure he could grasp her arms.

"Raven, please, try to understand," he pleaded, holding her gently. "I don't want to lie to you, please believe that, I don't want to."

"Then don't," she snapped, wiggling in his grasp.

"It's not that simple," he sighed.

"Like hell it isn't," she snarled.

"You don't understand," he shot back. Then his face softened, a look of regret coming into his eyes. "You don't know..."

"Well, gosh Sherlock," she exclaimed scathingly. "Maybe that has something to do with you not telling me!" He looked at her pleadingly, his eyes large and pathetic, begging her to know what he couldn't say. He was being weak and vulnerable, a side of himself he didn't often show to the world, a side that she alone was allowed to see. "Garfield," she said softly, reaching up to brush a stray lock of wild green hair from his face. He leaned into her touch, savoring the moment. "What's happening?"

"Raven," he muttered, his eyes closing as he inhaled her scent.

"Let me help," she implored, gazing up at him. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his body relaxed and his mind focused.

"Rae, there's something going on you should know about, something big. I've done some stuff, some bad stuff and... I'm afraid it's only going to get worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"I never thought it would go this far, I didn't think I was even capable of half of it. But I guess I was, I did it, after all, and I'm going to do more." He wasn't looking at her, his emerald gaze was fixed on the left hem of her cloak, but his words were honest. "I can't stop, even when I try to, I just can't. It's like, there's another me, inside, and he refuses to let me stop or turn back... and I can't- won't, fight him."

"Beast Boy, you're scaring me," Raven said, her eyes wide. His expression contorted, his grip on her arms tightened,as though he was fighting some kind of pain, but he still kept talking.

"I made a promise, Raven, one I can't break. I started down this road and now I must follow it to the end, to Zinara's side. I know where I'm going and it's not that I hate going there, it's just... after today, everything will be different. But I'll promise you one thing. I won't hurt you, no matter what, I will never hurt you, and I won't let _him_ hurt you either. I just, I need you to know that, what ever happens, whatever I do, I'm still here, still me."

"Beast Boy, stop it. What on Earth do you even mean? Why are you talking like this?"

"I have to go now, Raven." Her eyes widened in realization as his words sunk in. "I don't know if I can come back."

"No," she said flatly, straining against his hold. He gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut, his body beginning to tremble.

'Not yet! I'm not done yet!'

'We don't have the time! Go NOW!'

"I won't let you go, I won't let this happen!"

"You can't stop it," he grunted.

"I'm going to save you from this!" His eyes shot open, glowing with a yellow energy. Raven gasped as these eyes were turned onto her, eyes burning with bitterness and rage and impatience. She was frozen, unable to move, to look away from those eyes. They weren't human, but neither were they inhuman, burning with the fire of wrath, but still pained, lonely, sad, the eyes of a lost child. Then the fire faded, leaving only Beast Boy. He looked at her tenderly, his hands moving up to cup her face.

"There's something I have to say," he whispered, his voice so quiet she could barely hear it. "I may never get another chance. Raven I-" She couldn't speak, and even if she could she wouldn't have known what to say. He tried again "I- I lo- Raven." He looked right at her, with those intense, jeweled eyes of his, sincere and innocent, and he pulled her face towards his.

"What are you-" She was cut off when his lips met hers. His emotions hit her like a warm wave: passion, desire, need, affection, regret, loneliness, love. It was no light hearted first kiss, but something much stronger, much bolder. After the shock had warn off, she tried to push him away, a feeling of awkwardness blooming inside of her. He just held her tighter, removing one hand and wrapping it around her waist, leaning her back. Her hands found his shoulders and grasped them tightly, which he took ans a sign of approval and encouragement to deepen the kiss. A blush rose in her face, her open eyes, annoyed; partly at his actions, and partly at the warm bubble that was expanding inside of her so similar to the feeling that had overwhelmed her when Malchior had taken her hand, or held he close, or ran his finger across her cheek. What was this? What was this feeling that was bubbling to the surface? Desperation, lust? Could it be?

Beast Boy released her, pulling back just far enough to look in her eyes. He smiled at her, a blush staining his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he murmured. He leaned in and, for a second she though he was going to kiss her again, but he just inhaled her scent. She looked at him, confused, her hand sliding beneath his chin, tilting his head up. Her gaze was met by a predatory yellow one, one with slitted pupils, one that didn't belong to Beast Boy in any form. "Sleep," a voice like a chorus of angels commanded. She felt herself getting dizzy as the world began to come in and out of focus. "Sleep." Her body went limp in Garfield's arms, pulling him to the floor. He shut her eyes affectionately, grinning slightly as his eyes returned to their luminous green, picking her up bridal style. She made no move or protest, simply lay against his chest, the unnatural sleep slowing her breath and cooling her body. He carried her over to the couch, laying her on the cushions delicately, as if she was nothing more durable than a porcelain doll and liable to break if he so much as breathed on her. Then he wrapped her cloak about her to keep her warm until she woke, pulled out his communicator, and pressed the button. While he waited for a response, he played with her hair fondly, noting its softness. If he ever got the chance, he would very much like to bury his face in it one day, or maybe use it as a pillow of some sort.

"Beast Boy, come in," came Robin's voice, a note of relief mixed with the urgency.

"Go ahead," he responded, pulling out the communicator and looking inquisitively at the Robin's face.

"We've just got word that Adonis has broken out and is headed for the museum. We could really use yours and Raven's help on this one."

"Raven's in some sort of weird trance thingy. I don't think it's a good idea to wake her up."

"Fine, then you come by yourself, and hurry!"

"Roger that, fearless leader," Garfield said, giving him a mock salute and a goofy grin. Robin gave him 'a look' before the feed went dead. He put the device away, smiling wickedly. "Well, Dearest," he laughed. "Now that I'm sure you'll be safe and sound, I can get this party started." He got up and headed for the door, blowing a kiss over his shoulder, his eyes yellow.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Ya! At long last, Chapter 12 has been completed, Beta read, and now posted! Celebration! Streamers and confetti and tofu cake PARTY! I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting, I have tried to make up for it with sheer mass. And for all of you who have been less than happy with the wait, your wrath has reached me, I've been sick as a dog ever since a month after last update. I know it was your wrath because I magically felt better when I sent this chapter off to the wonderful Jocelyn Torrent. You will have to forgive any dip in quality, Kilarra had to write this one mostly Muse-less (Once I get started, she can't help but come help out, so there are parts). And now my apologies have been made and I must get ready for school, and run out the door like a mad woman. Ya IB!**

**Disclaimer: Dudes, still just a broke fanfic author who doesn't technically own anything. I'm workin' on it though.**

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"You can't hide from the light!" Under normal circumstances, this battle cry would have provoked a witless reply or an amused laugh from Beast Boy. After that, Raven would have chided him for his lack of intelligence, tact, word choice, maturity, or some other trait and thrown a sharp comment at the villain herself. He would have taken one look at her looming form, given up, and cried like a little baby all the way back to his cell. Unless it was a good day, then he would simply avoid all eye contact and cower submissively. Beast Boy would have had a good laugh, annoy Raven with comments about how creepy, scary, or intimidating (not quite his own word, but that was the general idea he would be trying to convey) she was and earn himself several deadly looks. These would either encourage him, or shut his mouth for five minutes. They'd drop of the prisoner in his padded room, tuck him into his straitjacket, and go get pizza.

But these weren't normal circumstances. They weren't there; neither of them was there to fight. Raven and Beast Boy were back at the Tower. She was meditating or something similar to put a lid on her raging emotions before they blew out the power grid… again. Either that or she was moping. But it felt more sophisticated and high priority and overall more hero-worthy to say she was trying to save the Tower from utter destruction from the quiet of her own room. Moping just sounded so... pre-teen. Well, regardless of her original intent, Raven had now been landed with 'babysitting duty' as her charge had dubbed it none-too-fondly. That charge was their other missing teammate, Beast Boy. He was back at the Tower for… different reasons, reasons that were more related to diabolical, evil, Pinky and the Brain masterminds then pre-teens. Reasons that called for a greater degree of care and caution than Raven's bad mood, and that in itself was impressive.

Beast Boy was a bit unstable at the moment. He had some kind of bird human hybrid singing in his head. Thus far, he had left the Tower... in the middle of the night... without permission... or telling anyone where he was going... or leaving a note... at least twice. One of those times he had ended up in the middle of the ocean with no memory of how he got there and nothing to thank but the grace of God he wasn't some drowned corpse on the beaches near Hollywood with some crazy person poking his lifeless body with a stick! The jury was still out on the other. At least, that's what Robin kept telling himself. It was how he justified his decision to leave the green boy behind. That was how he could keep fighting even with Beast Boy's angry, hurt eyes burning in his head, how he felt he could continue to be the leader and stand by his decision.

But... Robin would never admit it verbally, at least, not in so many words, but he did have his doubts about his decision. What if Beast Boy was right and he was just being paranoid? What if he went to every shop in Jump and actually found some random guy professing to have given Beast Boy some free tofu because he owed him money for some arbitrary thing and he had paid of the debt last night so there was no reason to be harassing him?

He had stared into his eyes, like the rest of the Team, his wrathful eyes and what he had seen had scared him. Maybe he just didn't want to believe it, maybe he couldn't admit to what had happened. But there was no denying that that had been Beast Boy. Not quite the Beast Boy they knew, but not necessarily a foreign entity controlling his every move and expression. Was it really fair to just assume that this siren girl was so good at manipulation that she could just fool everyone around him into thinking that, no matter what he did, he was still their Beast Boy? Was any being truly that powerful? Or was Robin just too proud to admit that he had done this to the green boy, that he had made him into the frustrated creature he had argued with not a half hour ago.

Then again, there was call for suspicion. Why would he have gotten so defensive about it to begin with if there wasn't something to hide? This was by far not the first time they had gone a little over the line between privacy and friendship. Heck, Cyborg had been in that same messy room hundreds of time, digging through the mounds of junk in search of some game or another... or black mail material. But Robin wasn't sure if Cyborg actually did that to anyone besides the Boy Wonder himself. Oh well, they still had the pictures from Cyborg's second initiation, so they were relatively safe from the media at least.

Beast Boy had never gotten terribly angry about that. He usually just took the mature path and did the same thing to Cyborg's room, or hid some tools the next time he was in the garage, or added a few carefully placed bird droppings to the T-Car's shiny windshield. Nothing made Cyborg angrier than having to clean Beast Boy poo off of his car. And then there was that one time, when Beast Boy had gone into Cyborg's room, used his computer, and accidentally downloaded a virus into his main frame. He was still paying for the couch. And let' not forget the time when Beast Boy had snuck into Robin's room while he was on a private mission, gone through his stuff, tried on his cloths, played with his toys, and made a total mess of the place. Granted, the rest of the Team had joined in on that one, but Beast Boy had initiated it.

Of course, Robin had forgiven him easily, Beast Boy was still doing all of Robin's laundry, but he was completely and maturely forgiven. No room, except Raven's, was sacred in Titans Tower, and Beast Boy had violated that one too. A trip to Nevermore was enough to guarantee his continued absence, but Raven had added in a few extra incentives. It was entirely possible that Beast Boy still had nightmares. So really, Beast Boy had next to no right to have gotten so angry about the whole room thing, since it was such a common occurrence and he himself did the same thing on a regular basis.

But maybe it wasn't the room that had made him so angry, maybe he had just been venting. Yes, he had been unusually unstable and moody, but when put into perspective, that was completely understandable. He had been locked up, poked and prodded and questioned and studied and watched and tested and fed with one of those cute little baby spoons that was no bigger than his thumb. Beast Boy was a grown man, as much as Robin hated to admit it and as infrequently as he acted like one, but he was. In a fight, he could take care of himself, in a pinch he could follow through, in a maze he could figure a way out. He was strong and capable and he had proven it again and again and again. And what had happened? He had started hearing a song, something he couldn't resist, and followed it. He had lost one fight and they had locked him up like some kind of rabid animal and treated him like he was going to turn on them at any moment.

How would Robin have felt in his situation? There was little doubt that his patience would have run out quite a bit faster than Beast Boy's had. His temper turned a lot more brittle in a lot less time, and he may have actually become violent. He was a hero, bred to lead and raised to be strong, it was in his blood and he really wasn't good for anything else. Was it so impossible that he had that in common with Beast Boy? Was it so impossible that all the changes in him were due to his confinement and the lack of trust from his friends rather than an alien influence in his mind?

So many questions, so many scenarios, so many possibilities. Robin's mind was going so fast, switching positions every few seconds, adding and removing variables, calculating, thinking, feeling, trying to understand, it was a wonder he was able to fight at all. It came down to one thing, one thought, one question, one little basic question. Had Robin made the right choice? Yes? No? Maybe so? Over and over again in his mind. The truth was, he didn't know. He could have done the right thing and kept some unknown force at bay for the time being, holding it within the Tower with the changeling. He could have just shattered the trust of one of his most loyal friends, lost an essential member of his Team to his pride, and left himself vulnerable to an attack by the villains' union of Jump. Was the situation still salvageable? Robin didn't know, and he didn't like that he didn't know. And Dr. Light was really not helping.

"Robin, watch your-" A light beam struck him hard on his right shoulder and sent him flying. He flipped in the air, landed, recovered and began to probe the sensitive tissue, assessing the damage and cursing his incompetence. "Back," Cyborg finished lamely, his shoulders slouching. Honestly, it was bad enough being short two members, but did Robin have to be in 'La La land' too? He wasn't really in a fighting mood to start with and Dr. Light was hardly a challenging target. It was almost not worth the effort to fight him. He was tempted to just turn around and go get a hamburger. "Man, will you quit fooling around and help us out here!" He just wanted to be done and go back to the Tower. He just wanted it to be over.

"Sorry," Robin muttered harshly, looking like he was ready to take out the first person who said anything else about his obvious lack of interest. That meant he was embarrassed.

"Robin, you are not feeling well," commented Starfire, sending a ray of starbolts at the good doctor. He put up a shield and repeated anther lame light crack. The Titans weren't amused.

"I'm fine, Star," he shot back, tossing a few bird-o-rangs in the criminal's direction. They skimmed across the little white fin on the top of his head, causing him to start and turn around sharply.

"I was not referring to your physical condition," she called, taking the opportunity to strike the idiot in the back. He went flying and hit a wall. No one really noticed. "Perhaps you should go back to the Tower and talk to Beast Boy."

"There's nothing to talk about," he shot back, throwing her a fierce look. He was second guessing himself enough; he didn't need his friends pulling double shifts.

"You were a little sharp and you know it," called Cyborg. Dr. Light got up and began to advance, intent on taking advantage of the Titan's bickering. He got a sonic blast in the chest that sent him back into the wall. "You really should apologize."

"For what? I did what I had too. I made a decision to protect this city and this Team. Beast Boy understands that."

"Does he," asked Starfire innocently, hovering next to Robin. "It did not seem to me that he was particularly pleased by your decision."

"Well, he wasn't but-"

"If you do something to upset another, you are supposed to apologize, yes?"

"Yes, Starfire, but this is different."

"How?"

"This was a tactical decision."

"So that justifies hurting your friends and losing their trust?"

"Starfire, he could be dangerous."

"Or he could not be; you don't know if you don't give him a chance."

"I said I'd call him if we needed him."

"Well, I believe we need him." She was giving him a rather pointed look, like a parent telling the other their words were too harsh.

"It's Dr. Light!"

"Yes, and he is not going to defeat himself."

"Starfire, don't you think you're taking this a little too far?"

"In what sense?"

"In the sense that this is not an issue."

"How is this not an issue?"

"I'm the leader and I made a decision, just like I always do."

"I do not share your belief that this is the same."

"This isn't any different then when I told Cyborg he couldn't build a T-Limo."

"That would have been so cool!"

"As I recall, you apologized for that, Robin, and provided rationale."

"Yes, but that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"We've been over this."

"I believe you are feeling the guilt."

"I'm not feeling guilty, Starfire."

"You are always stubborn, but more so when you do not wish to admit that you are wrong."

"I'm not wrong."

"You would feel better if you apologized to Beast Boy."

"You're overreacting."

"_You _are not being reasonable."

"I'm always reasonable!"

"That is untrue!"

"Have you forgotten something? Let me enlight-" Cyborg put out a hand, holding Dr. Light back and shaking his head in disbelief as the couple continued to argue heatedly.

"Don't go there, man. Mommy and Daddy are in the middle of something."

"Shut up!" Robin yelled, turning sharply and tossing a small sphere. Dr. Light looked from the sphere to Cyborg, then back again, slumping his shoulders. It exploded into a dozen cords that tangled themselves about the villain's body, effectively paralyzing him and knocking him to the ground. "We are _not _Mommy and Daddy! Now be quiet, both of you! Or, so help me, I will throw the two of you into Raven's room!" Dr. Light didn't understand the room reference, but he knew enough about Raven. Blood leaked from his completion and Cyborg shuddered. "And that was once," he added to Starfire. "Let it go already!" She hovered beside him, her arms crossed, her face patronizing.

"Yes, I know that that was an isolated incident. I was merely pointing out that you are behaving similarly now."

"Duly noted. But for future reference-" He was cut off by a rather obnoxious beeping originating from his communicator. Cyborg checked his right arm, noting the flashing red light and pressing a few buttons in quick succession.

"The museum is under attack," he reported, glancing at Robin.

"By whom?"

"Adonis, and he's moving fast through the exhibits."

"Any idea what he's after?"

"None, maybe he's just out for a joy ride."

"Or perhaps he is planning something, or acquiring an artifact for another criminal. He could be more dangerous than usual." Hint, hint. Robin scowled, less than amused by the implications.

"How'd he even get out?"

"Who knows, maybe he's upgraded."

"We may require the rest of the Team." Hint, hint, hint. He pulled his communicator, annoyed.

"Beast Boy, come in," he said blandly.

"Go ahead," came Beast Boy's voice as his curious face appeared on the screen.

"We've just got word that Adonis has broken out and is headed for the museum. We could really use yours and Raven's help on this one."

"Raven's in some sort of weird trance thingy. I don't think it's a good idea to wake her up."

"Fine, then come by yourself, and hurry!"

"Roger that, fearless leader!" He sounded overjoyed as he gave him a sad imitation of a military salute with his trademark grin back in place as if the earlier fight had never happened. It seemed a little odd, but Robin couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Then the screen went black. Besides, if he chickened out now he'd never hear the end of it and would face certain rejection the next time he tried to get a date. He put the device back on his belt, giving Starfire a pointed look.

"Happy?" She smiled brightly her hands outstretched, inviting him to the sky.

"Let us go kick the butt!" Robin couldn't help but grin as he accepted. That stupid, sweet, beautiful smile of hers, every time. Cyborg rolled his eyes, sighing and muttering as he headed back to the T-Car.

* * *

"Dudes! What took you so long?" An excited voice called as Starfire and Robin landed, startling them.

"How'd you get here so fast," Robin demanded.

"Well, duh, my little siren teleported me." Robin's eyes narrowed and his weight shifted tactically, despite his best attempts to appear amused. Beast Boy noticed, his smile flickered and his ears perked. "Whoa, dude, I was just joking!"

"Yes, and it was most humorous," exclaimed Starfire, clapping her hands and laughing excessively. Robin's eyebrows ascended into his hairline and Beast Boy blinked uncertainly.

"OK then, did I miss something?" Beast Boy asked. The T-Car suddenly squealed to a halt behind the laughing alien and Cyborg burst from it, cannon charged, grin set, eyes burning. "Cyborg!" All previous strangeness was forgotten.

"Hey, it's the grass stain!" The two friends ran up to each other, their fists meeting in a generic male greeting. Cyborg remained stationary, grinning insanely, clearly overly ecstatic. His green playmate stumbled back a good ten feet, apologizing incomprehensibly when Robin and Starfire had to dodge his flailing arms. "Feelin' good?"

"Never felt better!"

"We should celebrate our friend's return to 'The Field'!"

"Celebrate?"

"You know what that means!?"

"Totally awesome..."

"Once in a life time..."

"Absolutely epic..."

"Yeah, epic…"

"Breakfast party!" In their excitement, the two Titans began doing a sequence of oddly choreographed, acrobatic moves that may or may not have constituted a victory dance. Starfire had begun bouncing up and down excitedly, looking at Robin expectantly, as if she wanted him to join in the fun. Robin felt like he was stuck in a room full of kindergartners at recess.

"Um, guys," he said uncertainly, holding up one little finger in protest, "that sounds great and all, but shouldn't we take care of Adonis first?"

"Yeah," hissed Beast Boy, turning to face Robin slowly, his eyes flashing.

"You ready to kick some booty? Or are you too fat?" teased Cyborg, messing the changeling's hair affectionately.

"Dude, I was born ready!" Beast Boy playfully pushed his hand away, setting his body into a dramatic fighting stance and meeting Robin's gaze defiantly. Robin nodded, turning his attention to the door. The Titans set, ready to spring into action at the first noise from Robin, at the first sign of danger or movement. Garfield's eyes narrowed, his grin widening. It was all working out so beautifully, so perfectly. Every line in his script was being said; every piece of blocking being followed. Only Robin still suspected him of being anything but completely honest and sincere, of having anything but the purest of intentions and the most innocent of motivations.

But Garfield knew how that mind worked, and any gut feeling would be unjustified, any doubts little more than paranoia. Raven knew, she was a threat; but she was also quite asleep back at the Tower, and she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon so long as he had anything to say about it. She couldn't do a thing. Nothing would stop him; no one would even think he was up to something. At least, not until it was too late to do anything about it. Just beyond that door was the Half Heart, and just beyond it was Zinara. She would be free, and then...

Robin pulled out his bow-staff, readying several stun-grenades. Starfire's hands and eyes glowed nuclear green, Cyborg's sonic cannon a luminous cyan. They were ready. With one strike, the door was sent flying, banging the walls noisily.

"Titans, G-" The entrance hall was dark and still, silent except for the echoes of Robin's battle cry. There was no one.

"Well, that was anti-climactic," commented Cyborg, lowering his cannon.

"Where is he?" inquired Starfire, looking around frantically for her foe, as if she had been expecting him to be waiting for them just beyond the threshold.

"He must be somewhere else in the building," said Robin flatly, putting the grenades and staff away. "Beast Boy, can you sniff him out?"

"What? Oh," Beast Boy said, jerking and looking around rapidly. "His scent's all over the place, I can't really get a definite trail."

"Then we split up. Cyborg, you take the Egyptian exhibit, the wildlife and health rooms and the planetarium. Starfire, you always wanted to take a field trip and look at the gems and dinosaurs."

"It will be glorious," she proclaimed excitedly, though rather blatantly indicating that Robin had not gotten out of taking her to see the 'special, shiny, Earth rocks' personally. Her eyes flashed mischievously towards the gift shop as well, as though she had decided that she would acquire one strange object or another while in the general vicinity. Robin rolled his eyes affectionately.

"While you're there, why don't you check out the Chinese and Native American exhibits?" Starfire nodded fervently. "Beast Boy and I will take all of the temporary exhibits." Beast Boy shot him a rather queer look and Starfire and Cyborg blinked uncertainly. But no one protested, so Robin decided to simply continue as planned. "We'll meet back here when we're done searching, no more than an hour. Don't get too sidetracked, we do have a mission to accomplish." Everyone expressed their approval in one way or another, mostly through a sequence of grunts and inarticulate sounds. Robin jerked his head sharply. "All right Titans. Go!"

The group scattered like a school of fish, each intent on beating the other's back to the meeting place, leaving Robin alone in the center. Beast Boy morphed into a blood hound and began walking off without his partner. Robin sighed, following obediently. Time passed in silence as Beast Boy tried to distinguish weak scents from more recent ones. He caught something, his body quivering ever so slightly and his ears pricked forward. In a blur of green he changed back, his human body in a kneeling position, one leg bent before his chest while the other rested on the floor. His left fingertips were pressed to the tile for balance and his other arm rested on his knee. His eyes were unusually bright, almost luminous in the gloom of the unlit hallway. They were... creepy, surreal. Beast Boy raised one hand slowly, pointing towards a corner ten feet in front of them.

"That way," he said quietly, emotionlessly. Robin nodded and began walking in the general direction. The plan was for them to just check out the temporary exhibits, but he didn't want to be confrontational. They weren't in a kitchen, but it would do. He was, after all, with Beast Boy now to make friends, not to watch his every move and study for signs of treachery, insanity, or guilt. Nope, he was definitely there to play nice and mend the relationship. They were going to be friends again! Robin's shoulders slumped and he felt the urge to hit himself in the face. Yeah. Beast Boy got up and followed, a smirk playing in his eyes.

"Beast Boy," Robin said, stopping abruptly.

"Yes?" It was Beast Boy's voice, but at the same time, it was strangely articulate. He shrugged it off.

"I just want you to know that I- that is, the Team- well, we never thought you were a ... traitor." Not quite an apology, but it got the point across. He _was _trying.

"Excuse me?"

"Earlier, when you said you were sick of being treated like a traitor. That was never my intention." Trying, and failing. But at least there were brownie points involved in the trying.

"Forget about it," Beast Boy rolled his eyes and continued on, passing the teen hero. "I only said that to make you feel bad." It was Robin's turn to demand an explanation. He halted, stunned.

"Excuse me?"

"So that you'd let me on the mission. It worked, didn't it?"

"I never expected you to be so cunning," remarked Robin, not quite what one could call pleased. Had he just been metaphorically stripped of his pride? Had Beast Boy just completely invalidated his entire 'play-nice' and 'I-need-to make-friends-or-I'll-never-be-forgiven' strategy? He started walking again, trailing along behind the green boy.

"It comes from spending too much time with Raven."

"I see." They passed another long moment in silence until they hit another intersection. Beast Boy changed into a blood hound once more, sniffing each corner thoroughly. He transformed back, indicating the new direction silently. "So we're clear," Robin finally muttered, wanting to get things straightened between them. Robin wasn't the type to enjoy groveling unless it was for a very good, noble, just, and absolutely necessary cause. And, although being buddy-buddy with Beast Boy was all fine and dandy, he really wanted to be let off of his knees.

"On what?"

"That you're not a traitor." His tone was getting slightly sharper. He quite honestly found Beast Boy's evasion frustrating. He had to be enjoying the moment. That was the only reason Beast Boy could possibly have for keeping him in the wrong for so long. Robin frowned. How was this any fun whatsoever?

"Aren't I?" Garfield's offhand comment sounded quiet, dangerous, like the low, malicious whisper. The words rasped in his throat, so that Robin could just barely hear; not that he needed to listen to them to understand their meaning. Garfield's tone communicated all. He halted, turning slightly to gaze at Robin out of the corner of one, gleaming eye. Robin froze, eyes narrowing in confusion. The heat went out of the hall.

* * *

_"Raven, Raven..."_ She groaned loudly, thrashing in disapproval. _"Raven, are you there?"_ They were words, but they didn't make sense. They were noise. They were _loud_. Her hand found its way out before her face and she swatted at the source of the words. There was the sound of talons scuttling across marble and a sharp '_caw'_. It was louder than before.

She rolled over, flopping one arm across her ear and using the other as a makeshift pillow. _"Raven, come on! Stop fooling around."_ Something soft and smooth tickled her nose and lips, like raven wings brushing across her face. Her breath came in long, deep, rhythmic gulps, her amethyst eyes closed heavily. The wings were persistent, batting at her face gently. _"Raven, you need to get up now."_ She was so tired. All that she wanted to do was stay exactly where she was and sleep till the next century. _"Raven, Raven please. Raven!"_ Someone was calling her. Someone she knew. "_You have to wake up! Raven, Raven! What did she do to you?"_ She? She did something?

_Heat in her cheeks, yells in her throat, fire in his eyes. _Her face contorted, her body scrunched up. There was the scuttling sound again. _Strong arms around her, a warm voice, a scared voice. _She had been in the living room with Beast Boy, around the couch. He had told her something, told her goodbye. She pressed her palm against her exposed ear, trying vainly to remain in a semiconscious state. He had to do something and he wasn't sure if they could see each other after he did it. He had been scared, she had been scared, scared of what he was saying, of what could happen. She had to protect him. _Lips against hers, soft, passionate, sad, lonely, insane. Yellow eyes burned into her, her body left. She fell, he was gone. She couldn't stop it, couldn't stop him._ She didn't want to get up, didn't want to remember this.

_"Raven! Please, please get up. For me if for nothing else, please get up. Open your eyes!"_ He'd leaned forward to smell her one last time, pressed his lips against hers, then she'd tried to look him in the eye, to understand exactly what it was he was trying to say. She curled into a tighter ball, wishing for the bliss she had felt before the intrusive voice had reminded her, yet realizing that she had to remember. Because she'd pulled his face up, forcing him to meet her gaze. But Beast Boy was gone, it hadn't been Beast Boy. She'd failed.

"No," she cried, sitting bolt upright, her arms flailing until they found their place at her sides. A large, green raven squawked, flying back in shock. Her cloak was strewn behind her, leaving her body exposed and chilled, her hair messed from napping. That wasn't true, she hadn't failed... she couldn't. "Where is she?" Raven demanded, addressing no one in particular. "What has she done with him?"

"Raven, you're awake," came the same voice from before, its tone brimming with a cocktail of joy and relief. She looked down at the green raven, actually noticing it for the first time. It hopped closer, cocking its head to the side and flapping its wings dramatically. "Thank goodness, you had me worried." Her face scrunched in confusion. True, her mind was still a bit fuzzy, her thoughts not quite as precise as they should have been. To deny that would be about as justifiable as denying that her father was a demon. Nevertheless, every logical fiber in her body was telling her that the sounds she was hearing could not be coming from the bird before her. "What's the matter, you look like you've seen a talking lamp," it joked, hopping closer to her and pecking playfully at her hands. She blinked uncertainly, looking around. No way, unless...

"What happened," she asked slowly.

"You don't remember?"

"Some, how did I get here?" Where 'here' was, was quite beyond her, but when one is dreaming, things turn out better when you just say what comes naturally.

"I waited until they weren't watching, then I pulled you in. We need to talk."

"You what?"

"When Zinara told you to sleep, she bridged our minds. Yours was unstable from the spell, so while they're preoccupied and not watching, I figured we needed to talk."

"So, I'm in your head?"

"Yes, like before. Only this time I brought you here." Her eyebrows knitted in confusion, her thoughts swimming, disoriented. "What's wrong?"

"Beast Boy?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah, who'd you think you were talking to, Oprah?"

"Sorry," she mumbled pressing her palm to her forehead.

"You alright? You don't look well," he said, his voice laced with concern.

"Just groggy. What'd she do to me?"

"She told you to sleep," he stated simply, standing on her hand for a moment then hopping off, pecking at it lightly again. She reached up and stroking his back. "Any discomfort comes from fighting her."

"She can do that?" It seemed like way more than any siren she had studied could do. Then again, after all of this, there weren't many things that she should have found surprising. Stuff was just happening and her head hurt less when she just accepted it.

"It's part of her power; through me, she can affect the people around me. Not in quite the same way, or to the same extent, but simple commands, basic spells, stuff like that. It shouldn't hurt."

"It doesn't. Then what?"

"Well, your body is under a mild spell now. If you'd stayed there, you wouldn't have woken up until she said to. So I pulled you here."

"Here?"

He gestured with his beak to the wall just behind her, as though there was something blatantly obvious hiding there. She turned, and jumped half a foot in the air, causing Beast Boy to squawk in panic again and fly up. There was a tall, wide, cast iron gate between two grey stone pillars, covered in dead moss and topped with obsidian ravens with four garnet eyes each. The iron of the gate twisted and knotted elegantly, blooming into black roses sporadically graced by green granite, like leaves around the blossoms.

It hung wide open, revealing a view that, had it any eyes to look with, the top of the Titan's TV might have been used to. On the left was the Titan's kitchen, unnaturally clean and orderly, as if its users were terrified to get it even the tiniest bit dirty. To the right the Titan's equipment beeped and flashed innocently like something out of a Star Trek remake. Dead center were the main doors and just below them the couch. And on the couch a body lay limply, as if passed out or dead. Her hair was brushed carefully from her face and her cloak tucked snugly around her body to keep it warm and securely in place. "Is that me?"

Beast Boy nodded and, even though he didn't have lips, she could have sworn he was grinning at her, like a teacher pleased by the improved test scores of a particularly slow student. "And is that the door from my mind to yours?"

"Yep, one of them. Technically you're on the couch right now. But through a series of complex, high level, difficult to understand events, your mind is in mine. You see, when a telepathic door is opened between two people, those two people, in this case us, are able to-"

"Don't patronize me! I understand the mechanics of what's happened very well, thank you," she said hotly, receiving his bird-like smirk once more. He hopped closer to her and rubbed his head against her fingertips affectionately.

"I'm glad you're all right," he whispered, blinking up at her with black eyes. She offered her hand and he jumped on, his small talons tickling her skin as she pulled him up to her face.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, stroking his head. Somehow, as strange as it should have been, it seemed like the natural thing to do, the type of thing she would do in a dream. And the most logical explanation, the one her mind could grasp with the least amount of effort, was that she was dreaming. So, despite all the evidence to the contrary, Raven just continued with the natural, whatever popped into her head first method. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, pretending to not hear her. "Beast Boy, why wouldn't I be OK?" She slid her finger underneath his beak, forcing him to look up at her.

"I can't always... I don't always have..." he tried, struggling to find a way to express himself. She didn't let up, staring into his eyes the entire time. It made him uncomfortable, being beneath that gaze. He clicked his beak sharply, annoyed with himself. "Sometimes they don't listen to me. They don't mean to hurt anyone but sometimes, they... don't realize what they're doing. Sometimes they're willing to make sacrifices to achieve their goal. You were in the way, and they got impatient."

"Who are they?" He avoided eye contact avidly, preening himself instead, as though that was the most important thing in the world. "Beast Boy, who are they?" He shuddered visibly, glancing around, as if afraid of being overheard.

"Raven, please, don't make me-"

"You need to tell me, who are they? What's going on? Why are we here and not... out there?" She gestured to the open gate. She ran her pointer finger down his spine, trying to calm him. Beast Boy nipped at it softly, glancing at her. He knew what she wanted, and she knew he knew. A twisted, sick, uncomfortable, distortion of their usual game. Maybe this _was_ real, Raven didn't know. She closed her eyes and shook her head, sighing.

"Zinara and... and, Raven, don't make me do this."

"Why can't you tell me who the other one is? What are you scared of?"

"If you knew who he was, who I am, you would be scared too. It's dangerous for you to know; he might hurt you."

"Hurt me? Beast Boy, what are you talking about now?" This wasn't making sense. Dreams were sounding more and more rational by the minute; she was, in fact, crashed on the couch or in her bed and it was three in the morning and her mind had finally cracked from the stress. But there was something in the green raven's eyes, a note in his voice, and oddness to what he was saying that she knew she could never actually create even in her strangest dreams. A new thought hit her, one that made up her mind and slapped her fully back into consciousness. To admit that this was a dream was to admit that she was dreaming about Beast Boy. Not happening. "I'm not dreaming," she stated, looking him right in the eye, her tone somewhere in between questioning and defiant. Beast Boy blinked back at her, grinning again. There was something almost... sad, about the way he was grinning, but he was grinning. For her, to make her happy. She sighed again, rubbing her temples with her free hand. She wasn't even getting paid. "I don't understand any of this."

"You think I do? Every morning I have to wake up and wonder what my name is," he joked, relieved that she had stopped attacking. But Raven wouldn't let up that easily. This wasn't a dream, so she couldn't just go with the flow. In dreams she could laugh at the less-than-humorous comment, but in real life, telepathic situations, she had to stand her ground. There was something here, something important, something that he didn't want her to know about. Something she needed to find.

"If you're going to play games then I'm just going to leave," she said sharply, setting him firmly on the ground and getting up.

"Wait, Raven," Beast Boy flapped his wings urgently, causing her to pause. "You can't go, not yet. We still need to talk."

"We've been talking, but all you seem to want to do is make sick jokes and blow off the entire situation. I have important things to do."

"This _is _important!"

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Don't you remember what I said before, that I needed to do something, that it would change things?"

"Haven't you already done that? Isn't it all ready too late? Face it, Beast Boy, you trusted me to help you and I let you down. And now we're in here making small talk while some 'other' is out doing who knows what!"

"No, that's not true, there's still time. If you go now, you can stop me before I hurt anyone."

"Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Freeing Zinara."

"You're freeing Zinara? Or 'they'?"

"I am. They are. I don't know! But people are going to get hurt if you don't do something; Raven, listen to what I'm saying!"

"Beast Boy, I don't know what you're saying," she muttered, turning and facing the gateway. "How do I get out of here?"

"If I tell you, will you stop it?" He asked softly, flying up and landing next to one of the stone ravens on the pillars.

"Answer me this, Beast Boy, who I'm stopping? Can you tell me that, or is this just another game?"

"Raven, why does it matter? People will get hurt; people could _die_, unless you do this."

"I can't just take your word on this, you should understand that. I need to know who I'm fighting and why. If you can't tell me that then there's no reason to it. I won't go in blind." She met his black gaze, willing him to yield, to tell her what she needed to know. He stared back, torn, afraid, the same look he'd given her before he'd left the first time.

"You don't know what you're asking. If I tell you this, if I tell you about him, there's no going back to the way things were. Everything will change."

"Everything will change if you don't! You can't ask me to do this based off of nothing more than the word of a green raven in the mind of a debatably unstable changeling who, might I add, has been taking midnight trips that he either doesn't remember or won't tell his friends about! Do you even know who you are anymore?" He gave the bird equivalent of a whimper.

"Just step through the gate, you should end up back in your body. That will be enough to break her spell." Silence. She looked away, towards her body on the couch, snorting. "I'm in the Mediterranean exhibit at Jump Museum, or at least, that's where I'm going. If you're going to stop me, go now." He wasn't letting up, he wasn't giving in. She bit her tongue, chewing on it in indecision. Swiftly, almost before she fully understood what she was doing, she offered her hand up towards the pillar, encouraging him to retake his perch.

"Just tell me, who are 'they'? That's all, Beast Boy. That's all I want- need, to know." He blinked at her, glancing from the gate and back, then down the hall, as if expecting someone to come waltzing down at any moment. Suddenly, he shrieked in frustration, spinning on his perch and stretching his wings.

"You're fighting me, okay?! I'm the one working with Zinara, going behind your backs, scheming against the Team! It's me, I'm the one! There, you happy?" There was a long pause, a long, silent, tense pause. He looked her straight in the eye, not blinking, not moving, and she, in turn, didn't withdraw her offer. Then his body slackened and he broke eye contact. Had he been human, he would have grabbed his head and slid to his knees.

"And it's someone else, someone not me, someone different from me. I don't know, I don't understand it, or him, or what she did." He looked up at her, willing her to hear, to understand. "I just know that they are going to hurt people if they aren't stopped." With this, the frustrated fire returned to his eyes and he made another emotional 180. He took off, flying around to her back suddenly, scratching at it, trying to push her through the gate. "You have to go, go now! The Mediterranean exhibit at Jump Museum, hurry! Before something bad happens, before someone gets hurt!" She spun around, catching him in midair, holding him in place so she could look him in the face. He squirmed, carefully avoiding her skin. "Aren't you listening to me, you need to go now! You're running out of time!"

"I'm going," she said softly, calmly. "Thank you."

"For what," he spat, still struggling. "Let me go! There isn't time for this."

"For telling me about him, about what's going on. I'll go now, and I'll stop you, if that's what you want." His body slackened again, probably from some form of fatigue and he almost looked like he might just burst into tears.

"I don't know what's going on."

"Then I thank you for telling me what you know."

"Don't thank me," he whispered, meeting her gaze harshly. "Stop me. Stop us, or bad things are going to happen. I don't know what they are, or when they'll be, but bad things will happen, unless the Titans can stop them."

* * *

"What do you mean?" the Boy Wonder demanded, on edge, but trying to maintain the almost jovial mood.

"Aren't I a traitor?" Robin stared at him, disbelief and something akin to suspicion blooming across his face. This was Beast Boy, and it wasn't, a member of his Team, and an outside agent working for his own gain.

"I don't understand," he finally muttered, his gaze hard, his body tense. This was a game, just not the one he thought he was playing... and he wasn't sure if he knew the rules.

"Then let me make it simpler. Haven't I already used you to get what I wanted? Didn't I manipulate your Team to promote my own agenda? Doesn't it go against your better judgment to have me here at all?" Warning bells were sounding in his head, adrenaline pulsing unbidden through his veins. Here was Beast Boy, and at the same time, here was someone he'd never met, someone he couldn't, shouldn't, trust, a threat to him and the Team and the entire city. Something had to be done, now, before things went too far. But….

"That's not true," he denied fervently, still rooted to the spot. What was too far? What was he involved in? "I called you because I wasn't sure if we were going to have problems with Adonis and thought it better to have the Team as strong as possible."

"You called me here because you felt bad about leaving me behind."

"That's not all."

"Then why didn't you send me off on my own like the others?" Robin ground his teeth. Garfield smirked over his shoulder, amused. "The scent is strongest this way. We should keep moving." Robin frowned, following the changeling, but at a distance.

"Is that the truth? Do you really smell him?"

"It might be, it might not be. Can _you_ smell him?" Robin frowned, his hands clenching unbidden into fists. Garfield grinned, almost laughing at his distress. "Then I guess you'll just have to trust me. I'll let you in on a little secret though." There was a charged pause. Robin refused to play the game, but there seemed to be little he could do to get himself off of the board alive. "The scent of what _I'm _looking for _is_ strongest this way." More riddles.

"Beast Boy, is there something wrong?" he finally asked, his voice ringing in the hall.

"No, not really," Garfield responded carelessly, "I'm actually having a fairly good day. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You just seem a little... off. You sure you're fine?"

"You are a strange one, aren't you?" Garfield exclaimed, gazing at him over his shoulder. "An hour ago you were ready to chain me to my bed and now you want to know if I'm alright!" He laughed openly and loudly, closing his eyes and throwing back his head. Robin shifted uncomfortably, absolutely lost. He wasn't even sure where they were in the museum and every instinct in his body was telling him something bad was about to happen.

"Let's check in here," he said abruptly, gesturing to the Titanic exhibit.

"He's not in there. He's probably not even in the museum anymore," commented Garfield vaguely, not even bothering to slow down.

"How would you know that?"

"Because it would take a real idiot to not only show up at a place where there is nothing that could help him in any shape or form, then hang around to get caught by the Titans, wouldn't it? Not even Adonis is that stupid. Give him a treat and he'll roll over, but other than that he's out there to cover his own hide."

"Then we should leave too," stated Robin carefully, his gaze iron against the green boy's back. "If Adonis isn't here, then there's no reason for us to be looking for him in this building."

"But things were just getting interesting!" Garfield threw him another look over his shoulder, his eyes burning. "You were wondering if I was feeling good. Why?"

"Because you don't look good," said Robin bluntly, following for little other reason than to avoid being left behind. The hairs on the back of his neck were on end, his body tense and ready for confrontation, yet he still refused be believe that the boy before him was not Beast Boy. He had to be, anything else didn't make sense. And if he had to square dance around to prove it, so be it.

"Maybe," Garfield sighed absently. "Maybe I don't look quite right. That's understandable." He chuckled darkly, as if at some joke only he understood. "It would be downright creepy if I still looked exactly the same," as if the way he was talking was suitable for the Disney Channel.

"Beast Boy, what's the matter with you?" he finally demanded. He was so flustered and on edge, he barely noticed that they had entered the temporary Mediterranean Exhibit. Garfield was headed straight for the center piece, not really listening to the Boy Wonder.

"What do you mean?" Garfield asked, mock innocence spread across his face like too much honey. "Why would you ask me that? Are you saying something's wrong with me? Don't you trust me?" he sneered, flexing his fingers. He was toying with him, setting him up for something, like a cat batting cruelly at a terrified mouse in a corner, Robin knew that much. But why?

"Of course I trust you," he said slowly, cautiously. He was just out of reach, just far enough away that, should he be attacked, he could escape the first blow unscathed. "You're a member of my Team." Something was wrong, as odd as it sounded, as impossible as it seemed, Robin could feel in his gut that this boy, this creature before him was not the Beast Boy that had tried to be his sidekick all those years ago. It was... something else. Garfield positively leered.

"Are you sure that's smart?" Robin was speechless. Garfield laughed again, loudly, openly. "You are so _funny_, you know that!? You think you just know what's going on, don't you? You think you have everything figured out, all the variables controlled. _You!_ Human, you don't even know who or what you're dealing with." Garfield turned, facing him full on, his luminous eyes brighter than any flashlight, predatory, wild. "How long have we lived together? You never guessed that the prankster might have a few skeletons of his own?" Robin made a move to grab his communicator and call for backup. "Wait!" The sharpness in the changeling's voice made him freeze. "We're not done yet."

"What did you do to Raven?" He wouldn't play this game, not for a second longer then he had to. Things had gone far enough, this wasn't safe anymore.

"The half-breed? She's safe. Asleep, actually, which is more than I can say for you."

"Beast Boy, if you hurt her…" Robin threatened, reaching for his stun grenades. Beast Boy blinked uncertainly, his grin falling, his eyes losing their gleam. He looked around, as if unsure of where he was or how he got there, and then locked eyes with Robin.

"Why would I hurt Raven," he asked quietly. "Robin, you know I would never-" He cut off mid sentence, grasping his head and grimacing. His eyes closed and he turned away from Robin.

"Beast Boy," Robin called. No response. "Beast Boy, tell me what's happening. Tell me what I can do to help." Garfield's eyelids rose slowly and he threw Robin a dangerous look. His eyes were incandescent, stained with predatory yellow.

"Get out of my way," he snarled, bored with the game and annoyed by his slip. He turned sharply and proceeded towards the central glass case. Inside it glistened a small, smooth stone no bigger than a large marshmallow. Its surface was opaque and white, almost egg-shaped, and as the lights danced through it, it glowed with an internal spectrum which radiated out from the center. With each step Garfield took towards it this glow intensified, almost pulsating like a heartbeat."It's so small," Garfield commented softly, reaching towards the glass.

"Beast Boy!"

"Such a tiny thing," he continued, not paying any attention to Robin's cry. "Who would have ever thought it would be so powerful. Yet here it is, Zinara, all you wanted."

"Zinara? Beast Boy, what is going on?" He paid no heed, his nails lengthening into dagger like claws. He thrust these through the glass, his face hard and set. "What are you doing?!" Alarms were blaring, red lights flashing all around. Garfield didn't seem to notice, only vaguely aware of even the sharp glass shards as they showered across his arm, slicing his uniform and sometimes more. Robin reached for his communicator, advancing on the green changeling aggressively. "Titans! The Mediterranean Exhibit! Beast Boy's gone-" He was cut off when Garfield spun around, the Half Heart clenched in one fist while the other struck Robin square in the chest with a strength very much _not_ his own, sending him flying back into a wall.

"Robin? Robin," called Starfire's panicked voice.

'Swallow it. Garfield, swallow it.' whispered a soft, melodic voice from within his mind. 'Swallow it and set me free.' Garfield nodded sharply, cradling the object in both his hands and bringing it to his lips.

"Beast Boy, don't," croaked Robin, clutching his ribs and trying to stand. Garfield looked at him once, smirk back in place, eyes a blazing yellow-green, and defiantly shoved the object into his mouth. It went down smoothly enough, despite its size, like a large grape. He emitted a choking noise, his eyes closed as his knees buckled beneath him. His hands lingered on his lips for just a moment before they slid down to his chest, grasping just below his sternum. "Beast Boy," Robin hissed, pushing himself up and limping over to the changeling. His back arched, his chin tucked into his chest. A small light began to glow just beneath his palms, pale and bright, like a fairy, glittering in the darkness.

"Robin, Robin, what has happened?"

"Hold on, man, we're coming, just a bit longer." Robin groped around, grasping at his communicator.

"Be careful," he panted, grasping his ribs. "There's something going on with Beast Boy, he's violent."

"What did you-"

"I didn't do this! Will you just get down here? There's something happening!" Garfield gasped, stretching his back further then looked natural and pulled the light from his chest. It pulsed like a heart, too fast to be human, but too slow to be anything smaller. He stared at it, amazed, as if it the small light in his hands was the most remarkable thing he'd ever seen. Slowly, gently, he nudged the glass from the floor, clearing a space and setting the light on the floor. It wiggled, protesting his withdrawal. "Beast Boy? Beast Boy, what is that?"

_"Protect me, Garfield," _cried a small, beautiful, melodic voice. It originated from nowhere and echoed around the room, timeless, weightless, disembodied. _"He's human, Garfield. He'll hurt me. Protect me, keep me safe, please."_

"Beast Boy, what's going on, what is that?" He was trying to be calm, trying to be level headed in the most bizarre of situations. Slowly, cautiously, as if approaching a wounded animal, he took a step towards the green boy and the light.

_"Garfield!"_

"Get back," he warned, not looking at Robin.

"Beast Boy-"

"Get back!" He turned, fast as lightning, nails long, teeth flashing. Robin back-flipped away, grasping at a tear across his chest. Garfield stood, body hunched, claws extended, fangs glistening. His eyes gleamed yellow-green, and within them was something inhuman. Something that didn't belong, something that wasn't natural. And in the same eyes was Beast Boy, a creature that had evolved, been nurtured through years of suppression, bitter and angry and single-minded. A Beast Boy that would stop at nothing, would lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, or even kill. Robin looked into those almost grotesque eyes and saw something that was going to protect this... this thing, defend it no matter what the cost. An animal that had no fear or conscience or reason not to simply tear Robin, or anyone else who walked through the door, apart without thought or remorse. And it had its gaze fixed unblinkingly on the leader of the Teen Titans.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Yep, I know, you thought I was dead and you hate my guts and you're not sure if the story is even worth reading when it takes six months to get an update out of the author. I deserve all of your curses, but before you're too harsh, know that most of them have already smitten me. If you read my profile, you'll know that I had a particularly painful experience which I would rather not talk about in December of 2008. That made this story particularly difficult to work with for a while for irrational emotional reasons. And about the time I started to feel stable and my Muse started talking to me again (fickle little thing, ain't she), IB decided it was a good day to have an international panic attack and lay on the "You-Fail-This-And-You-Won't-Graduate" projects. Point being I survived, but just barely, and it is now summer, I'm back in the world of the living, and have delivered a nice, long, and I think eventful chapter. Oh, and I was also a perfectionist with the action here, so there's another reason it took so long. I think I'm better with the psychological stuff, but we'll see. Hopefully it's not too bad. OK, shutting up now. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Dudes, seriously? When I own something, you'll know. Now is not that time, but I've got dreams. Don't destroy my dreams! Yes, I am cracked.**

* * *

Raven was understandably disoriented. One minute she was arguing with Beast Boy in the common room, the next she was arguing with Beast Boy in the hall of doors that was his shattered and disoriented mind. At least, she was fairly sure that's what had happened. The details were fuzzy at best, but she remembered the gist. Now she was here... no longer arguing with Beast Boy. Where 'here' was, was exceedingly difficult to discern because 'here' was little more than darkness. It was like sleeping, except she was conscious enough to look around and move. There were swirls of color here and there, patterns from behind her eyes, blinking and dancing innocently. They were all around her, wherever she turned, assuming that she was actually turning at all. Without direction, she couldn't even tell which way was up and which was down, if she was in her body in a different dimension or a mind floating amiably through nothing, if she was even still alive. She had to be alive. Raven had to be alive, if not for her own sake and destiny than for his. Beast Boy was on the verge of something big, something he either didn't truly know about or didn't understand. They'd been talking- well, she'd been talking. He'd been yelling, panicking, and having a full blown freak out. He'd needed her to stop him before it happened, before he did whatever he was planning. Before the other and Zinara hurt someone.

Raven began to squirm, thrashing around like a fish on the shore. This wasn't right; she couldn't be here. Whatever it was that she had to do, she couldn't do it wandering somewhere in between hers and Beast Boy's bodies. An exasperated yell slid through her lips and made no sound. She had to get back; she had to get to the museum. Her efforts proved fruitless as there was nothing to strike and nowhere to go. Raven was beginning to feel a mixture of frustration and stupidity as her flailing limbs slowed and her brain kicked in. Floating around in frenzy wasn't helping Best Boy, and she had to help Beast Boy. Emotion couldn't help her here. That much was becoming blatantly obvious, she couldn't feel her way out of the black. Reason was the best method, the one that had always worked for her in the past. She pulled her imagined parts into a lotus position, calming herself. A disciplined mind could do amazing things, slow the heart, sing a chord, and even navigate the oblivion. She just needed to focus. Her body, she had to get back there. Nothing happened. She concentrated harder, willing herself to feel her real appendages, a small fire of desperation igniting in her chest. This was not a luxury of existence, it was a necessity. Her body was a necessity. He needed her. Now, before it was too late. She opened her eyes.

She was lying on the Titan's couch, her cloak wrapped securely around her body like a blanket, almost as if someone had tucked her in. Someone who cared about her. That was mildly disconcerting, though, she acknowledged in the back of her mind, still a sweet gesture in a creepy sort of way. It meant that either all of Beast Boy's newly emerged personalities were also in love with her, or he, the Beast Boy she knew, was completely and sanely helping Zinara. Well, at least she was back. Her head hurt like someone had tried to smash it with a crow bar... or crush it in a vacuum, take your pick, but she was in her own body and conscious. That was an accomplishment. Groaning, she reached up to cradle her temples in her palms. No sound came. Her arms didn't move. Startled, she tried to turn her head, to look around, but nothing happened. Her eyes widened and her mind raced. What was going on, what was happening? How was this possible? She tried to jerk, to turn, but her body just wouldn't obey the commands flying from her brain at 100 miles a minute.

"Think rationally, your body is still adjusting. Be patient," whisper a part of her mind soothingly, cold and intellectual.

"Patient? They're in danger and we should be patient?!" This was also a part of her mind, an angry, frustrated part. Clearly she had more of a problem than paralysis; her emotions were out of their collective minds. Going wild.

"Come on guys! There's a bright side to this!"

"No there isn't. It's hopeless."

"Shut up all of you! I need to think."

_"Raven, why does it matter? People will get hurt; people could die, unless you do this."_

"There's no time!"

"We've failed him. He asked us to help and we can't do anything. It's all our fault."

"Will you shut up for a minute?! I need to think."

"No, you need to act. You need to get up and do something."

"How, then? What happened? How do I get out of this?"

"Well, the magic used to put us to sleep was clearly powerful, but it was also unfamiliar, probably not meant to interact with demon physiology."

"Really. Thank you for that newsflash! Now we feel intelligent."

"And you're supposed o be the smart one."

"Guys! Think positive!"

"If you'll kindly let me finish. Remember what Beast Boy told us?"

"He told us a lot of things. Like that people could get hurt if we don't _hurry_!"

"He said that I wasn't supposed to wake up until Zinara wanted me to," Raven thought pensively.

"Exactly. When Beast Boy pulled us into his mind then sent us back here, he must have broken the spell, but only partially. Your body still needs a moment to remember how to follow your directions. Your control was also affected, most likely, which is why you can hear us."

"Wonderful. That's just what I need right now, a bunch of useless do-nothings talking to me when I can't ignore them."

"Hey! These useless do-nothings got you out of that dark place!"

"We're what bind you to your friends, what make you human."

"A lot of good that will do Beast Boy if I can't move," she snapped, glaring at the ceiling. "And for the record, it was my meditation and ignoring you that got me out of the 'dark place', not your chaotic ramblings." Her emotions answered back indignantly, clambering to be heard above each other.

"Raven, ignore them," came one in particular, small and sweet, with a feisty edge that stood out among the other flatter characters in her mind. "You know what's most important to you, to us. Beast Boy, you have to help him. Let me assist; let me take care of them. Do what you have to, I'll hold them back, unite them. Just give me a little hold in your mind, and I'll make the impossible easy." Raven felt a little wary about giving any emotion so much as a say in her decision making process, but the truth was that her powers were fueled by emotions at their most basic level. If this one could give her the power to do what she had to, then how could she fight it. And this new emotion was right; Beast Boy was the most important thing. Something warm and giddy washed over her and a rather crazed smile twisted her lips. She wanted to giggle, to dance, to float away into this inexplicable joy. Then it grew, swelling like the tide as a wave of rage hit her, blinding and powerful, animalistic. Then it cooled into a hard determination, tempered by the memory of the joke that wasn't funny and sharpened by the wrath of finding a bruise on his body that wasn't inflicted by yours truly.

Slowly, cautiously, with a bite of urgency, she felt her hand and focused on the sensations in it. The warmth from her cloak, the smoothness of the fabric as it brushed her fingertips, the tingle of her blood flowing beneath the pale skin. It was hot, sweat beginning to wet her palm uncomfortably. Don't try to move the spoon, don't try to bend it or make it float. Just pick it up and make a knot. Not with your hands, just pick it up. That's how she'd mastered telekinesis, not by trying to move the objects, but by putting them somewhere else. Now she refused to force her hands to move, merely willed it to cool. And slowly, sluggishly, it began to creep out, her fingers pushing against the barrier of the cloak and dragging her arm behind it. Then with an almighty heave, it flopped out and off the couch, perpendicular to her body. Triumphantly, she wiggled her fingers, grinning smugly when they responded to her commands. She twisted her wrist experimentally, bending her elbow and gazing at her hand, then, her face set, she reached towards the mug on the table before her. The tea was long cold, any honey she might have added sitting thick at the bottom, the smooth ceramic chilly and heavy. Raven rolled her head to stare at it hard, envisioning it in her grasp.

Again, nothing happened. The tea just sat there, defiantly, as if to taunt her. Stupid cup. She needed her powers. Moving was fine and dandy, but if she wanted to make it in time she'd need to teleport and if she wanted to stand a chance against the animal kingdom she'd need the rest of her powers. Her finger curled slightly, claw-like and aggravated. This was unacceptable, how was she supposed to fight if she couldn't even move a little cup? How was she supposed to help? The cup began to tremble and vibrate, shuddering under the pressure of her emotion. If she couldn't do this, if she didn't make it, what would happen to him? Would he be tossed aside after accomplishing his task? Accompany Zinara on whatever mission she might have? Leave the Titans forever? The memory of their last argument, that is, last real argument, forced itself to the surface of her mind, its details sharp, as if she were experiencing everything again. The resigned pain in his voice as he told her he couldn't come back. The lightness and reverence of his touch when he caressed her face, like she was some kind of mystic creature that might bolt or break if he applied pressure. The desperation as he... kissed her. The longing and passion, apology and demand, the inferred good bye. As if that was to be their first and last.

**No. **A black aura sprung from the table, engulfing the quivering mug. That would not be the last, not by a long shot. She hadn't slapped him or reprimanded him in any way for that invasion of her personal space. He wouldn't get away with it; this would be no kiss and run. He was going to face the consequences! The cup shot into the air, tea sloshing everywhere, but Raven didn't care. This new emotion, whatever it was, was pumping her so full of raw power she barely noticed her own success. Her thoughts were racing; energy flowing, wild and strong, yet that didn't matter because she was still in control, so to speak. She wasn't driving the wave and neither was she washed away by the current. Instead she was riding it, guiding it in a general direction and allowing its might to fuel her. These threats to leave and not come back were empty; she wouldn't allow him that luxury. Beast Boy couldn't just pick up and go whenever he wanted. He knew people, he had friends. He couldn't just abandon them; he had to consider the impact his departure would have. The pain it would cause them, cause her. The tea was no longer in the mug. It was floating above it and around it in little droplets. Her fingers curled in tighter and the mug and tea shuddered in unison.

He wasn't going to leave without a proper good buy, nor was some Siren going to influence him to do so. True, the jokes weren't funny, but Beast Boy always thought they were and that's what made them important. True, the constant interruptions were annoying, but they were a chance to see Beast Boy. And yes, he was immature and persistent and had bad taste in most things, but that was part of his charm. All the things she complained about had become such a part of her life she couldn't imagine existence without them. Who else could make her laugh, even if it was silently? Who else had never left her side, had fought to protect her even when he wasn't himself? Who had never faltered, had always been there to give her hope even in the most forlorn hour? Beast Boy, Garfield, whatever you called him. He couldn't leave her, not after everything they'd been through, not after she'd gotten to know him. She couldn't let him go, let someone else or some stupid action take him away, change things between them. Life without him was unacceptable. She needed him.

The mug shattered, sending tea and ceramic shards across the room, the lights flickering and an unnatural wind catching her hair as she threw back the cloak and got up. Whatever Beast Boy was afraid of doing, whatever crime he was in danger of committing, she would stop. What he feared she would make disappear and anyone who thought they could stand in her way should be wary. Zinara and this other should be wary. They weren't going to take Beast Boy from her. That would not be their last kiss. Perhaps Beast Boy didn't think she could stand against them, but he'd rarely seen her as determined and as passionate as she felt at the moment. He wanted her to stop him, but she was going to do more than that. She was going to save him and Azar help the one who tried to stop her. With one swift motion Raven tugged her hood into place and opened a black portal beneath her feet.

* * *

The air was charged, deathly still and dangerous. The thing, the creature that had come out of Garfield's chest, was sparkling on the floor, wiggling from time to time as it swelled. It seemed to glow a pale yellow like dying fireflies, the gleam catching the shapes of random objects and transforming them into monsters. The other artifacts were placed nicely out of the way, as if the exhibit had been designed with a large space around the Half Heart and everything else pressed against the wall. It was wide and long, the wall by the door bare, perfect for fighting without causing serious damage. Oddly convenient, but that didn't seem particularly important at the moment. Robin held himself still, eyes flickering from the thing to Garfield warily with his body tense and ready for almost anything. Garfield was staring hard at Robin, his gaze ablaze with inhuman fury and harsh enough to send a fainter heart scurrying away. But not Robin. He was going to fight, as stupid and suicidal as that seemed, he was going to take this creature on, get to that light, and contain it before the chaos it was bound to unleash began. Garfield knew all this full well, and it gave him a perverse pleasure to think of how soon that smug look in his eyes would be hidden by closed lids. But there wasn't much time to savor the anticipation, the other Titans would soon be showing up and Raven wouldn't stay put for long. Her arrival would make things much more difficult. Better to take out "The Team" and spirit Zinara away to some place safe before she arrived. A grotesque smile twisted his lips, his new fangs glinting in the half light, his clawed fingers flexing. Robin shifted his weight, preparing for what was coming.

Faster than any human could possibly move, Garfield was in front of him, then behind him. Robin gasped as something twisted his arm, locking it into a position human arms were not supposed to assume. He bent as Garfield put pressure on his shoulder, hissing when those claws began to dig in to the space between his muscle and bone, and then gasping as he was thrown through the air. He slammed into the wall by the door upside down, crumpling into a heap almost comically. The green boy followed him, flexing his fingers menacingly and examining the crimson stain beneath his nails, which had burst through the fingertips of his gloves and now protruded from the ragged cloth. Robin tucked his feet beneath his body, rocking back onto his toes and holding his arm. The fact that Beast Boy had just hurt him like that was more painful than the actual wound as it struck at the very core of who he thought Beast Boy was. A kind, light spirited kid who, despite his lack of maturity, could hold his own in a fight. One who would never savor a hunt like this (the boy was a vegan, for crying out loud), one who had always been loyal to the Team, one who had always stood up for the right thing. His friend was now here to annihilate him. And to enjoy it.

Garfield paused a few feet away from the fallen Titan, grinning expectantly. He said nothing but his luminous eyes challenged. 'Get up'. Cocky jerk. Robin sprung up, landing a side kick right into the changeling's chest. He grunted, stumbling back and looking quite shocked. The Titans leader struck with his open palm, aiming for his neck. One well placed blow there could knock out the boy and end the conflict and save them both a lot of grief. Robin just wanted this to end before any serious damage could occur. Unfortunately, Garfield wasn't as stunned as Robin thought. He twisted sideways, his spine contorting as if it had twice the number of vertebra, and did what could only be described as a one handed, sideways round-off. Robin dodged Garfield's feet and pulled some flash grenades. Before he could throw them, Garfield had his wrist, pressing hard on the pressure point next to his thumb, forcing his fist to open and the grenades to fall, useless, about their feet. With an almost playful grin, Garfield leaned in and whispered, "Is that all? I thought you were stronger than this." Robin grunted in annoyance and swung his other fist at Garfield's temple. The changeling caught it and forced it down so that he held both wrists by his waist, paralyzing the Boy Wonder. Smirking, Garfield snaked his foot behind one of Robins, the one slightly in front of the other where Robin had his weight, and jerked it out from under him. Robin fell backwards, Garfield shoving him down to the floor. As they tumbled Robin forced his leg between their bodies, pulling Garfield onto himself so that when they hit the ground he could use the momentum. When they landed Robin pushed with the leg between them and sent Garfield flying onto the floor above his head. He gasped in shock, landing hard on his back and quickly rolling to his feet, absolute wrath burning in his eyes now. He wasn't smiling any more.

Robin, his path now clear, made a run towards the glowing creature that was beginning to look eerily like cousin IT from the Addams Family. It seemed to turn and shrieked an ear splitting minor chord which could have sent shivers down the most heartless of humans' spine. Before Robin could take another breath, a dark arm had snaked its way around his neck. He gasped, clawing at it, but the more he struggled the tighter it got. Hot breath was by his ear, an animalistic growl rumbling in the chest behind him. He heard something that could only be described as the cracking of bones and felt hard objects shifting beneath the skin of the arm that held him. He dug his fingers into the changing flesh, wrenching it away so that he held the contorted arm before him, elbow locked across his shoulder. For a moment he considered breaking it, snapping that elbow, but instead he grasped as high up on the arm as he could reach and shoved his body as close to the attacker's as possible, squatting until his back was pressed firmly against Garfield's lower chest and stomach. Then, with an almost savage cry, he flipped the green boy over his shoulder. He did go flying, but not in any sort of normal way. Garfield twisted in mid air like he was doing a front hand spring without hands or a floor. Yet it wasn't quite a flip either, just a movement Robin didn't recognize.

Robin didn't have long to contemplate what it was that Garfield did because the changeling no longer seemed to be savoring every moment. As soon as he landed, he twisted out of Robin's grip and hit him full in the solar plexus with the heel of his palm. He skidded back, finally stopping in a crouched position by the door, staring in disbelief at what had once been a member of his Team. Garfield's form was so distorted it was repulsive; he no longer even appeared human. Yes, he was still human shaped, but his fingers had become so stubby in comparison to his claws that his hands looked paw-like, his face elongated outward slightly into almost a snout, his pupils tiny specs of grey in the grotesque emerald gold of his eyes. His mouth was slightly open, revealing several rows of thin, sharp points. For a moment they just stared at each other down the hall formed by the other artifacts, savoring the perfection of the scene. Man versus animal over the maiden, like a twisted version of some kind of ancient, epic tale.

"Robin," came a shrill call as a thunder of footsteps began just outside of the exhibit, breaking the moment. Garfield hissed and hunched down, making himself appear even more beast-like.

"Yo, Rob, we came as soon as we could! Where's-" Robin cut him off by pointing at the green creature.

"What has happened? Are you all right? Robin, where is Beast Boy?"

"There."

"No, it can't be. That can't be him! He's never been able to do anything like this before. He's only partly transformed. It doesn't even look like a natural animal! Beast Boy can't do that."

"Maybe you should tell that to him," said Robin coldly. "He's doing a lot of things he shouldn't. Like protecting whatever that is." He gestured to the glowing creature amongst the shattered glass.

"What the-" Cyborg followed Robin's gaze, and jumped slightly at the sight of the glowing creature. Under normal circumstances, Robin would have frowned on his carelessness, but the fact was that Garfield wasn't exactly a standard sight either, so he couldn't quite blame him for being distracted. "Robin, what did we miss?" Garfield hissed impatiently, shifting and his oddly jointed legs.

"Beast Boy ate the Half Heart and-"

"He did what?"

"He ate it! And then that light came out of his chest. It's been growing ever since. We need to get to it before it stops."

"Why? It this small thing so dangerous? Shouldn't we be more concerned with our friend?"

"Star, if it could do this to Beast Boy while still just a rock, what do you think it will do when it can move around," Robin asked rather harshly rubbing his arm and examining his bloody fingers. Starfire gasped at the sight of them, then, eyes blazing green with wrath as she put two and two together, she turned her gaze to Garfield.

"Beast Boy, stop this now! Come back with us!" Garfield's eyes moved slowly from her angry face to Robin's injured arm with a certain satisfaction, his lips twisting back into a smirk.

"Come on, B. We don't want to hurt you."

"Well, that's odd," Garfield hissed, his voice somehow augmented with something trumpet-like, an octave lower. "Because I want to hurt you."

"Just come back to the Tower," said Robin, standing up and pulling out his bow staff. "And we'll figure out what's going on."

"Oh, I already know what's going on. I know. You would flee now if you knew what was good for you." He stopped, his voice changing, shifting from the voice they were used to, to a strangely melodic, female tone. It was beautiful, beautiful and dangerous. "Then again, who am I to give up retribution? Human, you will pay." He was looking straight at Robin, his mouth stern and snarling. Then, his lips twisting, the trumpet-like voice returning. "You can't beat me."

"Do not think we will not fight you," warned Starfire, her fists glowing with the threat to her love."

"On the contrary, Star," Garfield leered, falling forward onto all fours and addressing her by the affectionate nickname. But it was contorted somehow, dripping with malice and disgust, like the mutation of affection. "I'm counting on it." His body began to change again, growing, elongating, expanding. It wasn't the usual blur of green that usually signified the transformation between man and animal; it was much slower, meticulous, like the body didn't quite know how to make itself shift. Hair burst about his neck and down his back, his spine shooting out from his tail bone into a long, arching tail. Hands and feet curled into paws, claws thickening into formidable talons. Bones groaned as they lengthened and joints reversed. Squelching could be heard as organs moved and grew and shrank out of existence. Spines grew from the tip of the tail into a bushel of barbs dripping with some sort of liquid. The Titans hovered by the door, frozen by the spectacle. By the end there was no longer a man before them, but some sort of giant lion that made the massive room about him look small. His back was a good inch or so above Cyborg's head, his scaled scorpion's tail arching several yards from the ceiling. The paws were as big as Robin's chest and the head was massive, frilled with a wild mane and armed with fang like teeth. The face stretched on it was neither human nor beast, a mockery of Beast Boy's grin pulled across a snouted bone structure. The creature eyed them enthusiastically, bending close to the floor as if preparing to pounce.

"Titans," whispered Robin, meeting the Manticore's gaze. "Go." Starfire hesitated a moment longer, then began to hurl starbolt after starbolt at the thing, landing each in his chest. The sound of Cyborg's sonic cannon charging could be heard above the small explosions of impact and then a twisting beam of cyan energy shot from his arm, mingling with the neon green of the starbolts, and sending a cloud of smoke into the air as it impacted. An awful howl was heard from behind the screen, a mingling of Beast Boy's pained scream and the wrathful cry of a beast. All firing ceased as the sound reached the Titans. It was Beast Boy, and not. Clearly he could feel everything they did, but was he aware? Was he still in control, or was this entire persona just the siren in his skin?

"Hey, B," Cyborg called uncertainly. "You OK?" The beast leapt from the smoke, tackling Cyborg to the ground. His claws made an awful screech as they ran across his metal chest, his eyes intent and vicious. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Oh, you're so funny," murmured Garfield. He brought his great head down next to Cyborg's ear so only he could hear his next words. "Concerned for my well being, Cy? Even when you're trying to kill me? I guess the tin man still has a heart after all. And here I was thinking your father had ripped it out with the rest of your humanity." Low blow. Cyborg gritted his teeth and pressed his sonic canon right into the beast's chest. Garfield shifted at the sensation, his smirk faltering. "Then again..." He fired. Garfield shrieked, rearing backwards onto his hind legs, gnashing his jaws furiously, yet, with some perverse kind of satisfaction. Starfire flew over, nailing Garfield in his exposed gut with a starbolt, sending him toppling onto his back, and pulled Cyborg to his feet.

"Thanks, Star."

"Are you still well?"

"Peachy,"

Garfield pushed himself back up, looking almost pouty. He didn't seem particularly upset by the set back. Robin, his bow staff held securely in his right hand like an extension of his arm, began to sneak behind the mythical animal towards the Half Heart, hoping that he was sufficiently distracted. He wasn't. Garfield swung around fiercely, sending Robin flying back towards the door with his paw, as if he had batted a fly out of the air. He landed on his shoulder, bouncing a little bit, then lay on the floor momentarily stunned. Garfield took a few steps towards the Titan's leader, then, his tail arching over his head, struck at him like a scorpion.

"Robin," cried Starfire, dropping to the floor. Robin rolled out of the way a split second before the hit landed, the spines only catching his cape. The venom bubbled on it, hissing and spluttering like some kind of acid eating at the reinforced fabric as Garfield drew back and readied himself for another blow. Robin sprung to his feet just as the spines rushed him, watching as they sank deep into the floor where he'd been. Hissing in frustration, the Manticore Garfield struggled to pull his tail out of the thinly carpeted cement. The Titan's took advantage of the fact that Garfield's tale was stuck to regroup. Robin shed his cape, Starfire checked Robin over and launched herself back into the air, ignited her starbolts, and Cyborg turned up the yield on his sonic cannon. Garfield gave them a sideways look and, for a moment, a flicker of regret danced in his eyes and they lost their luminous, yellow hue. He glanced at the mess that was Robin's cape, then down to the sink hole his tail had created, pensive.

For a moment, the world stood still as the gold came back. There was the sound of shifting weight, then Garfield sprung at Robin, claws outstretched. Starfire tackled him mid air, slamming him into a pedestal. The hollow wood groaned under the pressure and splintered, the metal helm it was supporting clanging as its glass case shattered and it fell to the floor. Garfield tried to use his hind legs to shove her away, catching her in the stomach as he struggled to right himself. Starfire let out a grunt of discomfort, but other than that she took no notice. With one hand she grabbed his throat and, fist closed into a tiny steel ball, she struck him in the snout with the other. Garfield howled, trying desperately to get her off of him, but he couldn't get any semblance of a good angle. The alien princess hit him again, her eyes burning.

"Star," cried Garfield in his trumpet like voice. "Starfire, please!" She hesitated, looking into those eerily luminescent eyes. His voice was desperate and pleading, hinting at feelings of betrayal, but his eyes told a different story. There was no pain in them, nothing to indicate he wasn't mocking her. Nothing to indicate he wasn't getting some kind of sadistic joy out of the whole thing, like someone who was right about something terrible. He noted the uncertainty in her face, his face splitting into a cruel grin. "Are you enjoying yourself? It is your nature to hurt, isn't it," he breathed quietly, for her ears only. "Behind the innocent facade that's what your species is good at, right?" Starfire let out a cry of hurt and indignation, gripping one of his paws and throwing him easily to the other side of the room. He hit three of the display cases, demolishing their glass shields, breaking several vases, and cracking the stone tablet on the wall behind them. There was a cry of agony and then silence. The Titans froze, waiting to see if Garfield was still standing. After what seemed like an eternity there came the quiet sound of cracking bones and human groaning and Garfield emerged from the debris. His uniform was torn, his skin unnaturally pale, and he was clutching at his thigh. Something dark and crimson was running through his fingers and his eyes, though no longer golden yellow, were livid.

"Rob, he's not looking so good," commented Cyborg quietly. "We need to end this, fast."

"Don't you think I know that," he snapped back, his eyes never leaving Garfield's. Garfield leered a little at their conversation, taking the moment to glance down at his injured leg and pull a shard of glass out of the wound. Starfire winced as he carelessly tossed the red piece aside and covered the gash with his hand. "We need a plan."

"Plan fast. Because at this rate the little dude's going to kill himself, he won't need any help from us." Robin shot Cyborg a very harsh look which he responded to with a shrug. "Robin, look at him." There was a very slow, but very steady drip of red liquid slipping through Garfield's fingers, though his expression didn't reflect that he was in any pain. As a matter of fact, he looked almost pleased with the laceration, as though it somehow proved his point and validated everything he had done and was planning to do.

"Tired already? Here I was expecting this to be difficult," Garfield taunted in a low voice.

"Really? 'Cause from where I'm standing it looks like your losing," Robin shot back, his hard gaze unblinking. Garfield's grin widened.

"Losing? Nah. I'm stalling. What are you doing?" Robin paused for a minute, letting his words sink in, then, his eyes widening in sickening understanding, he stole a glance at the Half Heart. It was no longer anything like a rock. Where the light had been there now sat what could best be described as a girl, but not like any Robin had ever encountered. At first glance she looked like little more than a huge lump of dusty brown hair and/or feathers rising out of a pool of more hear and feathers. Then she turned her head and he caught sight of her round, unnaturally pale face, as if she were born to a life in the sun but condemned to live in darkness until it robbed her of all color. Her eyes were huge and owlish, orbs of pure golden amber with slits of thick marquises of black onyx. Her arms were scaled like bird's feet from the elbows down and her hands weren't hands at all, but three fingered talons. She was still glowing faintly, the golden aura that had surrounded the stone as it grew still radiating from her skin.

"OK, that's new," said Cyborg blankly, staring at the girl in utter disbelief. Robin's eyes narrowed as he followed suit, his grip on his bo staff tightening. So, this was the siren. Didn't look like much, but he knew better than to underestimate her. Appearances couldn't deceive him, she was dangerous.

"Zinara," Garfield breathed, his expression turning almost happy as he gazed at her. She smiled faintly back at him, her wide, thin lips curving affectionately. The moment was shattered when a black vortex opened up barely a yard from the siren, dark energy surrounding a hooded figure.

"Raven!" yelled Robin, his voice a mix of relief and anxiety. She paid no attention to the Team Leader; her silent gaze was fixed on Zinara. For a moment they just stared at one another, gold eyes meeting violet. It was a curious contrast, the golden girl in nothing but her hair surrounded by warm glow next to the cloaked creature engulfed in black energy. Naked to clothed, long hair to short, pale yellow skin to grey, light to darkness.

"Zinara," Raven greeted in her usual monotone.

"Half-breed," she responded warmly.

"Raven, get her," shouted Robin, crushing the stillness. "Take her back to the Tower!" Raven looked away from the siren and gave him a quick nod. Garfield let out a snarl and, before anyone could so much as blink, had started towards Raven on all fours, his body shifting as he went. The change happened faster now, still not the blur of green they were used to, but not the painfully slow process from earlier either, as though the mind was getting used to its body again. He launched himself into the air, his body making final adjustments in the air, and a shaggy green wolf tackled Raven, pinning her to the ground. Raven gasped at the impact, her hood falling around her shoulders and her head banging against the ground, but she didn't struggle. She just stared at Garfield, unflinching and calm. He snarled at her, small pricks of black in his normally white eyes, then moving faster than was natural, he brought his head down to hers and began to close his jaws around her neck.

_'Are you going to kill me, Beast Boy?' _He froze, letting out a low whimper. His teeth pressed into the delicate skin of Raven's neck and she could feel his hot moist breath tickling her throat. If he had wanted her gone, he very easily could have taken care of it. But his rigid body and frozen bite told of an unwillingness to do so. _'Don't you remember who I am?' _Beast Boy shuddered, tucking his tail between his legs and removing his paws from her shoulders, but he did not release her. Raven stared up at him, willing him to hear her, forcing herself across the telepathic bridge that still connected their minds.

_'Raven," _came a tentative reply. She nodded and his jaws tensed, forcing her to remain still. _'Raven, is that you?' _This time she didn't move her head at all. She merely brought her hand up and rested it on his furry back, twisting her fingers in his thick, rough fur. He shuddered again, releasing her neck and tentatively licking the hollow of her throat once, almost like an apology. His wolf's tongue was warm and soft and would have made any other person in any other circumstance laugh out loud. Raven allowed herself a small smile as she stroked his still trembling back. Maybe he had abandoned them, maybe he had been under the influence of the siren, but he'd come back. When she'd called he'd come back. For reasons she couldn't explain, that made her exceedingly happy.

"Garfield!" A sudden, high pitched scream like a minor chord sliced through the air like a whip, causing Raven to jerk to cover her ears and any surviving glass in the room to shatter. Beast Boy, on the other hand, howled in pure agony, rearing back onto his hind legs and falling over backwards. The connection was severed as they both pulled back. He lay on the ground twitching for a moment, then he was still. Raven got to her feet gingerly, glancing around to see what happened. Zinara was curled up on the ground, her large eyes closed and her rapid breath even, like she had gone to sleep right there. Robin was standing over her, staring perplexedly at his hand, as if it now possessed a strange new power he hadn't been aware of. Starfire and Cyborg were staring at him in much the same way, apparently baffled.

"What happened?" demanded Raven, pulling her hood back into place and giving the rest of the Team a steely look.

"I just... touched her," said Robin rather blankly. "While you were keeping Beast Boy busy I figured it was the best time to apprehend her. But when I touched her, she just..."

"Screamed like he was made of red hot metal and passed out," finished Cyborg, shaking his head. "I don't know, man. This whole thing is getting to be just a bit too weird for me."

"Agreed," said Starfire quietly, looking around at the after math of their battle. "I do not understand what has happened or why. I wish things were as they used to be." No one seemed to know exactly what to say to that.

"Well, come on," said Raven suddenly, walking over to Beast Boy, who had slid back into human form, and placing her hands over his bleeding leg. They began to glow a pale blue as she healed the slash. He let out a low moan as the flesh was pulled back together, but gave no other indication that he was anywhere close to consciousness. "We can't very well do anything about either of these two here, so let's get them back to the Tower."

"Yeah, good plan."

"Cyborg, can you drive her?"

"What? Yeah but, Raven, what about him?"

"I'll take Beast Boy back myself."

"Raven, maybe it would be better if you took this back to the Tower and put her in the safe room first. We don't know when she's going to wake up or what she'll do. I'd like to be on the safe side."

"Or I could take Beast Boy."

"Friends, have we not had enough fighting for one day?"

"Guys, we could all just ride in the T-Car," suggested Cyborg, gesturing to the door with his thumb.

"Raven," continued Robin, ignoring both of them and pleading with the empath. "You teleport faster than even Cyborg can drive and we really need to get this siren back to the Tower before she wakes up." Robin stopped, crossing his arms as though the case were closed and glancing down at the siren. He blinked once, a pale blush beginning to rise in his cheeks as a new bit of information became apparent and he looked away quickly. "Besides..." He trailed off, glancing again at the unconscious siren at his feet and shifting uncomfortably. "She's- She- She doesn't have a lot on." Raven looked over at the girl in disbelief. Her massive amounts of hair were wrapped around her body like some kind of robe and the only flesh you could really see was her arms, feet, head, and bits of her stomach. It wasn't like some kind of awful Sci-Fi movie and the Teen Titans should have been mature enough to deal with it, but the concept of a woman without clothing is just something one aught not mix with teenage males. Raven sighed, trying to think rationally through the whirl of emotions that were still spinning through her head. She could understand Robin's argument, but she also really didn't want to let Beast Boy out of her sight. Finally, she snorted in defeat, rising and walking over to Zinara.

"Fine, I'll meet you there." The other three nodded and started towards the door. Cyborg went over and picked Beast Boy up, slinging him over his shoulder and giving Raven a comforting look. He didn't know what had just happened between the two, but he could tell it had been... intimate. She nodded back at him appreciatively. "If he wakes up..." she started. Cyborg paused, waiting for her to finish her instructions. Out of everyone on the Team, Raven was the closest thing they had to an expert on any of this and he trusted her judgment. The silence was a little strained, but not unbearable as Cyborg waited patiently. Raven sighed in frustration, looking over towards the wall. "Don't let him wake up," she finished lamely. He nodded understandingly and followed the others out. Raven watched him until he was out of sight, then reluctantly picking up the unconscious siren, opened a black portal and went back to the Tower. Hopefully, she'd be able to get Zinara some clothes, lock her in the safe room (not that that would help much, she wasn't a demon), and clean up the mess she'd left by the TV before the others had a chance to question her about it. Then she'd come back here. This had gone past the normal diabolical plotting of their enemies and Robin wasn't the only one who needed answers. Raven was going to find them, one way or another.

* * *

"All right," said Robin, rubbing his temples and looking exhausted. "Beast Boy's in the interrogation room, the siren's in the safe room with all its defenses turned on, and Raven's back from looking over the other artifacts in the exhibit. What do we know?"

"Not much," admitted Cyborg, supporting his head on his large fists. His human eyelid was heavy and he seemed to be putting a lot of effort in to sitting upright. Robin let out a low sigh, dropping his hands onto the table and rolling his neck.

"Raven," piped up Starfire, optimistic as always. "What have you found out?"

"Nothing concrete. Everything I found was vague at best."

"What can you tell us about the siren?" Robin specified.

"Like I said, nothing concrete. The exhibit had a lot of artifacts that were found with the Half Heart that speak of some kind of crime against nature. They say it used a great power and tried to destroy the world."

"The good old 'destroy the world' ploy."

"Yes. Clearly she failed, and the gods condemned her to be lost for all eternity in a sinking prison. What that means exactly, I can't say, but it's obvious that no one ever expected her to be able to escape."

"Sinking prison? Didn't Beast Boy come back from the ocean several times when he was only acting a little odd? Like he had gone out to find something?"

"Yes. What's your point?"

"My point is that maybe this sinking prison is was some sort of cage that just floated around at sea and Beast Boy swam out to find that. If that's true, then that might explain why this is all happening _now_." Cyborg received several inquisitive looks and he got up to explain. "The water currents could have taken it out of the Mediterranean, where the rest of the stuff was found, floated it around the globe, and finally deposited it off the coast of California." Several eye brows went up. "No, no, it makes sense! And it would have taken hundreds if not thousands of years. Raven, when are most of those artifacts from?"

"Around 490 BC," she answered slowly. "Found in what is now Naples."

"All right," said Robin, holding up a hand to stop Cyborg from arguing his point further. "So, she tried to destroy the world and the Greek gods put her in a cage and set her adrift for eternity and that's how she got here. Who is she, and more importantly, what is she?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but there is one possibility. There was one vase that told the story of one of the Sirens-"

"There were only a few of them?"

"Anywhere between two and five. According to the legend, one of them called Parthenope had an unconsummated romantic association with a mortal, Metiochus. Supposedly, she had some sort of accident and ended the relationship soon afterwards. She then cut her hair and dedicated herself to Dionysus."

"The God of Wine?"

"Among other things."

"So what are you implying? That who we have here isn't a full blooded siren at all, but the love child of these two?"

"But if it was unconsummated, doesn't that mean they never... you know."

"I know it's a rather important detail to ignore, but if you discount the fact that they never '_you know_'-ed, everything fits. The fact that her singing has the ability to lure men anywhere and her bird like appearance definitely point to some kind of siren heritage, but if she were a full siren, then her song should have affected Robin too."

"Which it didn't."

"Precisely. And can you guess where the Tomb of Parthenope is?"

"Naples?" Raven nodded.

"Where the Half Heart and all the artifacts were found."

"Assuming for a moment you're right and what we have is a half-siren half-human hybrid, why wouldn't they just come out and say that somewhere? Why all the secrecy?" That one seemed to stump everyone.

"Maybe they were embarrassed," suggested Starfire. "Perhaps what she did was so terrible that anyone related to her would have suffered the consequences. Perhaps they were trying to save their noses."

"Trying to save face," corrected Robin. Starfire gave him a puzzled look, but he waved off her questions.

"The sirens were also supposedly sworn to celibacy. The offspring of a siren would have provoked serious question. Parthenope and Metiochus probably would have been killed, not to mention any child born of the union."

"I gotcha. They kept their kid a secret to protect her and themselves."

"It's only a working theory, but it's the best we've got right now."

"So that just leaves us with how she tried to destroy the world in the first place, what exactly she did to Beast Boy, and where this Half Heart fits in."

"I can tell you that the Half Heart itself held the power used to almost destroy the world. How she used it and what she did to Beast Boy you'll have to find out from her."

"I'm on it," said Robin, standing up and making his way towards the safe room. Starfire floated over to his side quickly, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Robin, it's late. Should you not obtain sleep?" she suggested meekly.

"No, Star. We need to know what's going on, what she's planning. I can't wait." He tried to pull away, but she tightened her grip sternly. Cyborg couldn't help but smile at the couples antics as he stretched, leaving for his room.

"Star's right, Rob," he called over his shoulder. "We can shove a bed and blankets into the safe room and interrogation room for the siren and Beast Boy and question them in the morning."

"The situation's too urgent."

"Robin," said Starfire, walking around him so she could look directly into Robin's eyes. "They are not going anywhere. Please go to sleep." He looked stubbornly at her, intent on flat out refusing and marching to the safe room instead. Unfortunately, Robin always had a soft spot for Starfire's gaze. As she stared at him he found all his resolve melting into fatigue until finally, he caved.

"You win," he admitted, brushing her hand off his shoulder and clasping it in his for a moment. "I'll sleep, but in the morning-"

"In the morning," she continued, smiling warmly. "You shall get all the answers you seek." He smiled at her, feeling the distinct desire to brush his fingers across her cheek, but checked himself when he remembered Raven was in the room. He wished her a good night and left, an overly pleased Starfire at his heels. Raven watched them go, her curious newly acknowledged emotion twanging in her chest. For some reason, as she watched the two leave, she was thinking about Beast Boy.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Ok, so here's my story. I had this and it was on a role and like three pages away from done a good month ago. Then it hit me that school was coming and my homework was not done! So I panicked and told myself no fun writing until I finished my non-fun writing. But I didn't want to do the non-fun writing so I just didn't do any writing at all and hence got stuck in a hole of causality and pain. Then, I decided, sometimes it is necessary to break promises to one's self in order to make some form of progress. So here you go! Shorter, because I decided to stop giving you all headaches from hours of reading off a screen, but still substantially long and satisfying. Have fun!**

**Disclaimer: No time! Must do homework! I don't own it! I'm not making a profit! Leave me alone... *twitch, twitch***

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Raven lay awake in her bed, violet eyes wide open, unwavering gaze fixed on the crooked hands of her clock as they jerked in circles. 3:07:59 a.m.- scratch that, 3:08:00 a.m. The Titans had brought their two 'prisoners' back to the Tower at 9:32 p.m. the previous night and locked them up in separate rooms. Everyone had been both physically and mentally worn out, so that in itself had been tedious, if not painfully slow, like the lecture in your least favorite class that seems to drag on and on into oblivion until you think it might be preferable to pull a cheese grater across your forehead than sit still and listen for another minute. She'd been in charge of Zinara, which meant getting her back, getting her into the 'safe room', and, unfortunately, getting her dressed. The woman had enough hair to form a ball gown as it was, but that didn't change the fact that she was from ancient Greece and half siren and therefore without human attire. The Titans didn't have much in the way of spare clothing, excluding spare uniforms, and Zinara was _not _wearing one of those. There were a few things laying round, outfits for whenever the Titan's decided to go out looking as normal as they could, which wasn't often. But the half-siren was, bluntly put, too skinny to fit properly into even Starfire's most petite party outfit. Nor did she have enough shape to fit into anything of Raven's. After digging through everyone's closet looking for something that wouldn't just fall off, she settled on one of Beast Boy's high-necked tee-shirts and shorts. It was only fitting, since he had been the one to bring her into their lives. It took immense amounts of patience, several visits to her happy place, and new holes punched into a belt, but Raven had managed to get the girl dressed and into the safe room. Cyborg had added a cot later and dumped Beast Boy into the interrogation room. High end captives, they had the two most secure rooms in the Tower to themselves.

Had the night ended there, it might have been bearable, but just catching and locking a person up was barely half the job. When the doors were secure, Raven had gone back to the museum exhibit to study the artifacts that her teammates hadn't damaged beyond recognition by throwing each other into them. That, at least, had gone quickly enough; Raven enjoyed finding information. She liked feeling prepared and knowing what had and was happening and why. She did not like having questions. It was a double-edged sword; to have questions meant she would find answers, and to have answers meant she needed questions. Her little expedition had proved useful in that it explained a lot of the 'what', but frustrating in that it left the 'why' in shadows. And it had told her nothing she didn't already know about Beast Boy. That was aggravating. Raven had returned to the Tower at 11:18 p.m. and the Titans had had a meeting to get every member (excluding Beast Boy, who was currently locked up in the interrogation room for safe keeping) up to speed. That had been, if anything, worse than the bringing everyone back to the Tower. Yes, it was a lot of information, but was the bulk of it really that difficult to comprehend? The answer was no, it was not that hard to understand. The problem was not with the information itself, but with the structure of the meeting. If Robin had been a little less of a control freak and just let her commence with an information download instead of playing 20 questions, things would have gone much quicker and smoother.

Sighing, Raven allowed herself a blink before continuing her staring contest with the clock face. It had been a long night; the meeting hadn't actually been _that _bad, comparatively. She was just irritable. Robin couldn't help being the way he was and besides, he was under as much strain as anybody. He needed to at least feel like he was in control, even as the world spun out around him. It was his way of coping with the stress, to tighten the reins and dig in his spurs. Raven understood and could even relate to the mind set on some level, after all, the two had much in common like that. They both liked to be in control, liked facts and hard evidence, and preferred a solitary, less emotional existence. On the flip side, they both needed the control they desired, had difficulty acknowledging their own feelings and accepting the feelings of others, and would drop everything, push everyone away and go it alone if they thought they had to without a second thought. They would break hearts to save lives and reject the world along with every living thing in it. And, they always thought they were right. So you could imagine that when Robin and Raven fought, really fought, all Hell broke loose. Yes, Raven knew exactly how he felt and why he needed to be in command and drag the Team along on a short leash, but it still irked her. 3:09:07 a.m.

Raven rolled onto her back, slapping her hands palms down onto the sheets and letting out a groan of frustration. The meeting had ended at 11:51 p.m. and Raven had settled in her bed at about 11:58 p.m. plus or minus 10 minutes, which meant she had been staring at her clock waiting for sleep to swoop down and carry her into the blissful realm of dreams for three hours, eleven minutes and probably about 17 seconds. Counting demonic, four-eyed black birds for over three hours. Sleep had not come, and she was running out of birds. Rolling her eyes, Raven flopped back onto her side and glared at the slowly twitching hands of the clock, as if it was their fault she couldn't sleep. 3:09:57 a.m. Wait, 3:09:58 a.m. 59... 3:10:00 a.m... 01...02...03. Tick, tick, slowly, slowly. Tediously. Moving almost backwards, moving to the right, running around in circles until something stopped them. It struck her just how wonderful it would feel to smash the aggravating thing into unrecognizable bits, but Raven was much too pragmatic for that. She wouldn't act in such an immature, irrational fashion. 3:10:18 a.m... 19... 20... Maybe just this once.

With a wicked, slightly crazed glint in her eye, Raven reached over and grabbed the clock, her long, pale fingers curling sharply around the curved edges. Smash it telekinetically, or use the old fashion method of throwing it manually against the wall? Either would achieve the goal of total destruction. At the very least the obnoxiously slow passage of time would be needed. Then maybe she would get some sleep. Grinning, Raven tightened her grip and lifted the little machine, preparing to throw. There was a rush of crazed excitement as wind rushed past her arm and she anticipated the pain of broken machinery against her palm. It was halfway down when she suddenly froze, locking her jaw in unadulterated vexation. With great effort she set the clock down gently, releasing it before it touched the table surface and pulling her arm back to her side. This was ridiculous; smashing the clock would do nothing. It wouldn't stop time or help her get to sleep. It wouldn't alleviate this twisted anxiety that kept gnawing at her stomach and heart. A broken clock might ease some of her frustration, but it would not so much as touch the root cause. As if anything could, anything but doing something about it. Of course, that was much easier said than accomplished. The root cause was rather complex, hard to put into words.

Simply put, Beast Boy, her friend and teammate, was locked in some corner because he had released a half-blooded siren who happened to be intent of somehow destroying the world from her thousand year imprisonment beneath the waves while under the influence of her mind-controlling song. And he had attacked his teammates and almost killed Robin and could very easily have fallen into complete insanity by now. And to top it off, she was laying on her bed, staring at her clock, without any solid information as to how or why any of it had happened or how to fix it (if there was a way at all), waiting for a slumber that would never come. He could be slipping away, ceasing to exist as this 'Other' slowly replaced him and filled the shell of his body, and she wasn't so much as trying to do a thing about it. And it wasn't that she was inactive because things weren't that bad. Things were very bad. There was more at stake here than just her ego. There was Earth, there was the Team. There was her reality, the way her life went and who was supposed to be there. He could leave forever. That siren could and had taken Beast Boy from the Titans. Beast Boy, her Beast Boy, the one she knew and loved!

A gasp caught in her throat and Raven blinked uncertainly, running the words through her mind again as if to taste them, testing their implications. The one she knew and loved... She sat bolt upright, here violet eyes wide and her throat tight. These words, they couldn't actually _mean _anything, right? It was just a saying, and a common one at that, not something that one should say only when they absolutely meant every single word of it from the bottom of their heart. Nothing binding or significantly emotional. Yet when the thought entered her mind, an unexpected jolt had shot through her chest, like electricity. It was strange, but not all together unfamiliar. That same electricity had rushed through her not too long ago. What was this sensation that was pouring through her, that had given her so much focus and brought her so close to Beast Boy that she could easily reach out, and touch his mind, and now kept her awake and unable to concentrate? Why was she so anxious? Why did she care so much?

Her breath had become slightly shallow; her heart beat somehow louder, pulsing strongly in her chest. Something was different, strange. She felt like she recognized this feeling, but what it was and where she knew it from were illusive as the white deer. They'd had weirdness before and she'd never had an emotional reaction this severe. She had never had much of an emotional reaction at all, actually. So what was it about this situation that had her so unnerved? What was it about Zinara that made her stomach burn every time she thought about how the siren had manipulated her friend? What was it about Beast Boy? She had to know.

Raven threw the sheets from her body and stood up in one fluid movement, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and making her way towards the chest of drawers. All she needed was a cloak, she slept in her leotard. There was only one way, only one thing she could do. She needed to talk to Beast Boy, now. There would be no answers, no sleep, and no peace until she knew what was happening to him and what it was doing to her. She glanced back at the clock as she fastened her deep blue cloak about her shoulders, its back laying flat on her bedside table. 3:11 a.m. Raven allowed herself a mildly amused grin as she pulled on her shoes and brushed through the door. They had said they wouldn't talk to Beast Boy or Zinara until the morning. Well, it was the morning, technically. Close enough anyway.

* * *

Beast Boy sat on his cot, hands clasped in his lap, bright emerald eyes staring into the nothingness at his feet. There were no windows in the interrogation room, not in the traditional sense. The room was circular, tall and thin; with a single light so far above him he couldn't tell if it was some kind of light bulb or one of Cyborg's creations. It wasn't on anyway. The walls were slick, solid plates of a very hard, very durable grey material that extended seamlessly up and around the chamber. At the center, exactly at the center, was a single chair, unremarkable at first glance but composed of the same material as the room and equipped with every known restraining device for any body type the Titans had managed to capture. The chair was facing the only irregularity in the walls surface: a window of sorts into the control center shielded with mirrored glass. All in all, not much to look at.

The party was in the control room. It was every interrogator's dream come true and every liar's worst nightmare. A technological marvel to boot and Robin's playground whenever they actually had a suspect. It was rare for the villains of Jump to leave any crime unclaimed, rarer still for the Titan's to be able to bring in the 'usual suspects' for questioning. So really, the multi-species lie detectors and magically enhanced persuasion devises were rather useless. But, man, were they fun to make and play with. He could remember when Robin had deemed construction necessary, all the heavy lifting, all the bashing and testing and long hours. Back when the Team had still been more of a shaky alliance, back when Raven had laughed at his jokes. Beast Boy couldn't tell you how many times he had rammed into these walls to make sure they could withstand any kind of blunt force or sat in that chair to test its capabilities on every mind in the known animal kingdom. They'd been tests, and as such he'd put everything he had into them. He'd never imagined actually being held captive in the room. There wasn't much room for escape to begin with, even less with it being designed to hold him specifically. Not that he wanted to. He knew he had attacked his teammates, broken into the museum, thoroughly freaked out his friends, and done several other things he wasn't particularly aware of. He also knew he needed to help Zinara, that what she was trying to accomplish wasn't evil, and that her pain was massive. So now he was stuck in between knowledge and instinct. What he was doing was wrong, he understood that much. But...

"Beast Boy." He jumped as Raven's disembodied voice echoed through the room, a low hum of concern beneath her usual monotone.

"Geez, Rae," he said, clutching his heart in a needlessly dramatic fashion. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry. We need to talk." Beast Boy let out a sigh and fell back onto his cot, staring unenthusiastically up at the ceiling.

"'Bout what?"

"You know what." There was a long charged silence as Beast Boy avoided responding and Raven bore down on him through the glass. "Beast Boy, You're not going anywhere and more importantly, neither am I. You might as well talk to me." Beast Boy let out a groan and rolled over onto his stomach, showing Raven his backside. He could almost see her folding her arms.

"I guess there's no way to get out of this," he said dejectedly after a while.

"Nope." There was another charged silence. Then Beast Boy rolled over and sat up, his emerald eyes fixing on the mirrored glass, as if he could see through it and was staring at Raven directly.

"What do you want to know?" he grumbled, fidgeting with the fabric of his pants.

"Everything."

"Heh! Join the club."

"Excuse me?"

"Look Rae. Things aren't as simple as you seem to think they are."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she seethed, annoyance dripping from her voice. Beast Boy was once again reluctant to answer. He bit his lip and ran his fingers through his already messed hair, looking away from the window evasively. "Well?"

"You're smart, why don't you figure it out?" he retorted suddenly, standing up and walking over to the wall opposite the window. Raven narrowed her eyes from the other side, leaning closer to the glass. This was turning out to be a bit more difficult than she had anticipated. Not that she had expected him to just tell her everything she had come to discover and more the moment she showed up, but a little less hostility would have been nice.

"Maybe I can't," she said in a low voice, her unblinking gaze never leaving his back. "Maybe I've been trying to figure it out and I can't. Maybe I need your help." He pressed his hands on the wall and rested his forehead in between them.

"Has it occurred to you that I might be just as confused as you?"

"No," Raven scoffed, turning around and leaning against the control panel, her arms crossed and her features hard. "However lost you think you are I promise I am more so. I've done as much research as I can and nothing explains what's going on."

"And you think I know?"

"I think you know more than you're willing to admit."

"So you've come down here to harass me until I give it up."

"Pretty much."

"Well I'm sorry, Rae, but if you want answers, _I'm _not the one you should be talking to."

"So who should I be talking to?" No answer. Raven turned around to look back down into the interrogation room. Beast Boy had assumed the position she'd been occupying not three seconds before. He was casually leaning against the wall, his arms and ankles crossed in a very relaxed fashion, his eyes staring straight up at her, as if he could see right through his own reflection. His mouth was twisted in what was unmistakably frustration and there was a foreign glint in his eyes that was becoming all too familiar. She hadn't really noticed before, but he was looking rather ragged. There were little tears in his uniform here and there, mostly across his stomach and along his arms and his gloves were in ruins. His fingertips were poking out like he was wearing hobo gloves, revealing his rather claw-like nails. Like his fangs, these were small and unassuming but still very noticeable. Raven had never realized he possessed claws, but now, with his hands tense and uncovered, they were hard not to notice. "Beast Boy?" He refused to so much as blink; his stare was unwavering. She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes at what she perceived as his immaturity. "I'm coming down."

"You're what" Beast Boy yelped, straightening abruptly and almost falling over. The glint in his eyes had vanished and he was no longer staring at her. Yes, he was still staring up at the window, but his eyes were staring at a spot so far away from where Raven stood that it was apparent that he didn't have the slightest idea where she was. At least, not anymore. When she didn't reply, he walked over to the chair at the center and threw himself into it, pouting."Fine. Sure, whatever. It's not going to help anything."

"We'll see," she said calmly, moving to the stairwell out of the control center. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Beast Boy's movement and paused. "Beast Boy, there's no reason to follow procedure. You're not a criminal and I'm far from defenseless."

"No, it's fine," said Beast Boy in mock understanding, placing his hands on the arm rests. "Robin'll have a fit if he so much as suspected you and I were 'unprofessional' or you were 'putting yourself at risk'." He sighed dramatically and slouched a bit, pushing his lips to one side in what was unmistakably a pout. When nothing happened he looked up at where he thought Raven was and gave her a small, tolerant grin. "Seriously, I don't mind." Raven pursed her lips and watched him intently, trying to see if he was being sarcastic or not. His expression betrayed nothing passed mild disinterest as his fingers drummed lightly on the chair arms.

He clearly had no intention of resisting and actually appeared to want to follow the rules, for once. With a snort she reached back and pressed a large, red button quickly before she brushed through the doorway. A green light popped on inside of the interrogation room itself, right above the mirrored window and a pair of sleek restraints sprung from the chair and bound Beast Boy's wrists, making it quite impossible for him to move, get up, or otherwise appear threatening. He let out a resigned sigh and shifted uncomfortably; wishing Raven would hurry and get this over with. Normally he very much enjoyed spending time with Raven, but recently she'd gotten so... pushy. Nothing unexpected, tell a control freak there are things they not only have no say it, but can't know anything about and they're bound to get a little edgy. Does that mean it wasn't obnoxious? No.

"So... is there any particular reason you made this special visit at three in the morning or were you just unable to resist my charm?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I merely want answers."

"Yeah, you mentioned that. Couldn't you have waited till morning? You know, when we're not stoned off sleep loss?"

"I didn't see the logic in putting it off."

"Couldn't sleep, could ya?" Raven crossed her arms, shifting uncomfortably and moving over so she was directly across from Beast Boy.

"No," she finally admitted in a low monotone. He smiled at her almost proudly, as if grateful she had trusted him with that information.

"Me neither." They sat in silence for a while, but it wasn't like before. It was a calm, comfortable, reflective silence; like the two were empathizing with each other. "I keep going over it in my head," Beast Boy finally muttered, staring at something past his right foot introspectively.

"Going over what?"

"Everything. Everything that's happened. Everything I've done."

"You remember it?"

"Not really remembering. It's more like... thinking about a dream. Sometimes there's just a blur of sound and color, sometimes there's only images. Then there are moments when it almost feels, I don't know, real."

"Real?" Raven's voice was emotionless and questioning, skeptical, as if she doubted everything he was saying despite the fact that it was from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Not to mention the only description she had.

"Real. Like, I was actually there."

"You were there." He didn't say anything for a long time, but his eyes narrowed and he stared even harder at his foot, as if the right words were written there if he could only see them.

"Yes I was, and I wasn't. It's all so weird!" His hands coiled into fists and he made a face like he wanted to tug at his hair.

"I understand that," Raven said as softly as she could. "But I need to know what happens to you. Beast Boy, I need to understand what happened yesterday." Beast Boy swallowed and gave her a pained look. Nonetheless, he kept talking in a low voice.

"It's like...I was there, talking to you, and then I heard Zinara singing and suddenly I was watching the world with a strobe light on. You know, in flashes."

"So you don't remember arguing with me? You don't remember what you did right before you left?" There was an indignant edge to her voice, either about the kiss itself or the fact that he'd forgotten it.

"No," Beast Boy yipped quickly, giving her a hard look. "No I remember... that. It's afterward that things start to get blurry." Raven knitted her eyebrows and inclined her head slightly in his direction, as if to tell him to continue. He sighed heavily, licking his lips to moisten them. "I remember talking to you and then I was at the museum, talking to Robin, and then I was on top of you, with my jaw around your neck, ready to take your head off. Then Robin attacked Zinara, my head exploded, and I woke up here." His voice grew increasingly heavier as he spoke, so by the time he mentioned Robin for the second time it was laced with bitterness. Raven reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, letting her eyes close as she attempted to decide how to proceed. Was she getting information: yes. Was it what she wanted to hear? Not by a long shot.

"Beast Boy, he didn't attack her," she sighed, not looking at him. "Robin touched her shoulder and she collapsed. He wasn't trying to hurt her."

"Oh, don't give me that," he snapped, tugging at his restraints without realizing it. "Ever since this started all Robin's wanted to do is keep her locked up!"

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean he wants her dead. He's just trying to do what's-"

"Best for the city. Yeah, I've heard this speech before." Raven let out a patronizing sigh and decided to take the high road and drop it. Beast Boy didn't really notice. He was staring off into space again. "She was almost here, almost out," He said pensively. "And he jerked the rest of the way before she was ready. And that _hurt._"

"All right, I can see how physical contact might affect someone in the middle of inter-dimensional transit in that manner," Raven said, rubbing her brow as she tried to piece things together in a way that made sense. Beast Boy raised his eyebrows, rolled his eyes, and let his head fall back tiredly, not even trying to ask what on Earth she was talking about. "But why would you feel it? Why you at all?"

"Because I heard her."

"The rest of us aren't deaf; that doesn't explain anything." Beast Boy furrowed his brow and licked his lips, looking for the right words, even though his expression made it plain that he felt he'd already dumbed it down enough.

"Raven," he started, looking like he dearly wanted to fidget with something. "I'm not entirely human, not anymore." Raven frowned in confusion and Beast Boy squirmed uncomfortably, preparing himself for what was undoubtedly going to be a very personal conversation. "You may or may not know this, but I was born completely normal. Blond hair, blue eyes, cute little baby fat, the works. The only weird thing about little Garfield was that his parents were geneticists who brought him to Africa so they could work. Life was totally normal, but then I got sick. I don't really know how, heck, I barely know what I had, but my dad managed to make it better and the next thing I knew I was green and could turn into animals. I mean, I turned into a mongoose and saved my mom from a snake like a week afterward or something." He let out a forced chuckle and checked to see if Raven was satisfied. The word 'relevance' was forming on her lips. Beast Boy kept talking, looking harassed.

"The point is, when I stopped being sick, I stopped being fully human. Even in this form I have animal traits." He gave her a quick grin to flash his fangs and stretched his clawed fingers discreetly. "You know that I have sharper senses than a normal dude. What you probably don't realize is that I can sense things beyond the human range. I have twice as many scent receptors in my nose, you know."

"Does your sense of smell have something to do with the half-blooded siren we have locked up in the Safe Room?"

"Come on, Rae! I hear way above and below what the normal human ear can. We live in a tower on an island in the bay. Zinara was only a few miles out to sea; I could hear her singing. No one else had the physical ability. That's why me. Because I can and you can't!" This statement did not have the intended effect. Instead of giving Raven the answers she needed and aggravating her into leaving, the new information seemed to sprout new curiosity in her and a little triumphant light came on in her eyes.

"So she only affects you because you can hear her singing?" There was an oddly excited note in Raven's voice, like a child who'd just been told Christmas was in a week.

"I guess," shrugged Beast Boy, raising his shoulders in an exaggerated fashion. "That's all _I _know about how it works, you'd have to ask her for the details. Why?" All of a sudden, before Beast Boy even realized she had moved actually, Raven was right in front of him, her hands flying across the metal that bound his right wrist to the chair. "What are you doing," he yelped, trying to lurch away from her.

"I'm getting you out of this," she stated simply as the band snapped off. Without hesitating, Raven moved on to the one that held his left wrist, her eyes fixed on her work. "Then I'm taking you so far away from here that you'll need a satellite phone to contact anyone within ten miles of that Siren." Beast Boy's eyes widened as she said that and his face contorted into an expression somewhere between horror and hysterics.

"Raven. Raven, stop!" Beast Boy pulled his free hand away from the chair and placed it on Raven's busy fists, holding them still. She tried to tug away, completely ignoring him, but his grip was surprisingly firm. "Stop," he repeated.

"Why? What's the matter with you?" Anger slipped into her voice alongside the all ready present frustration and vexation. He closed his eyes and bit his lip.

"Raven, I get what you're trying to do. I know this scares you and I know you don't understand why I'm helping her. I know you think I being mind controlled or something so you're trying to keep me safe and away from Zinara. And maybe it would have worked before, but not now. Not after last night," he breathed cryptically into her hear. She shot him a fierce look and tried vainly to finish her work. He tightened his grip and then, making a resigned sound in the back of his throat, he pried one of her hands off the arm, holding it in his. Hesitantly, maybe even uncertainly, he pressed it to his chest, holding her palm over his heartbeat. Raven shot him a suspicious look but didn't pull away from the rhythm playing beneath her fingertips. It was slower than she had expected, strong and regular. There wasn't a hint of stress, no fear or worry; careless and comforting in its own way. "That's me," he said quietly, holding her questioning gaze.

"This is her." Slowly, he slid her hand down his chest to his stomach. At first she didn't understand what he was talking about. Then he breathed, and as his abdomen expanded against her palm she felt something.

"What the," Raven gasped as the pulse came again, and again. Another beat, too slow to be a bird's bit much too fast to be much bigger than one, was beating inside of Beast Boy, down where no heart was supposed to be. Raven jerked back in shock, pulling free of his grip and taking a step away from Beast Boy, giving him a shaken look. He gave her a small, apologetic grin. "What is going on?" she demanded in a firm voice.

"I'm what's keeping her alive now, keeping her here," he tried to explain, his hand still pressed over Zinara's heartbeat. "Until she can finish what she started." His voice dropped off oddly and he began to stare off into space again, looking almost conflicted.

"What does that mean? Beast Boy, what are you going?" He looked down guiltily, his jaw set and his resolve firm. "Garfield!"

"Don't ask, Raven. I can't talk about it so just don't ask."

"Can't talk about it? Since when do you take orders from her?" A fury she didn't know she was capable of was swelling up inside of Raven, burning her throat like bile and sharpening her voice to a deadly point. He glanced over at her, looking almost ashamed. "You know what she's planning, don't you. You know what she's going to do."

"Raven, it's not as bad as you think," he implored, reaching out to her with the one hand. She slapped it away, grabbing the chair arms and staring straight into his face.

"And just how bad do I think it is, Beast Boy? What's going on? What does she want and why does she need the Half Heart to get it? Tell me the truth."

"Raven, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because they're not my secrets to tell!"

"What are you, her lap dog now?" He was startled, staring into her eyes in a very stunned manner.

"What did you just call me?" The intention had been to sound threatening and cold, but only the hurt came through. She didn't care, she was far too angry to be concerned with the wounds of her words. After all, they were designed to hurt.

"The Garfield Logan I know doesn't give a rat's about privacy or secrets. He'll waltz into anyone's room when they're not around, regardless of whether or not he's been explicitly told to stay out. He'll trust any idiot on the streets with personal information, his and others. He'll tell you things you never wanted to know in the name of being open and honest." He hung his head, staring at his lap and wishing for the first time that she would just go away. She didn't.

"Do you know what Zinara said when she first saw me?" Raven asked icily. "She called me a half-breed. Now I'm not one to usually care about derogatory terms associated with my lineage, but I can't help but wonder how she found out about it? My demon heritage isn't immediately apparent to most, so I just have to assume someone told her. Now who do you suppose that might be?"

"Raven, stop, it's not what you think."

"Really? So what is it then? Because I can't help but wonder what else she knows about me. Which of my secrets she might be privy to. How much she knows about all of us; our strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities. Now tell me, Beast Boy, were those your secrets to tell?"

"Raven!"

"So in the end she knows what you tell her about us and we know what you tell us about her. But there's a problem, Beast Boy. You won't tell us anything about Zinara. You won't tell us what she's planning, what she can do, or even where she came from."

"Raven, please don't do this. I can't tell you!"

"Can't or won't." Beast Boy didn't know what to say to that. "I never expected you to hurt your friends. I thought you were the goof ball, unsophisticated yet kind hearted and loyal. I thought you were my friend, someone who would watch over me and be there for me whenever I needed you."

"Raven I am your friend-" She cut him off, her whisper razor sharp and clear in the silence.

"But I misjudged you. You know what you are. What you've allowed yourself to become?" Raven leaned in closer, preparing the final blow. "You're a traitor, Beast Boy. The bad guy's puppet." Raven felt him go ridged in his chair, heard his breath quicken sharply. "You're just like Terra."

Just as Raven began to pull away, intent on leaving him until guilt or something similar ate him up inside and he spilled everything to her, Garfield grabbed her around the neck, holding her close. He pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled, grinning, his eyes glinting emerald. "Now, there's no reason to be insulting or poke at... sensitive spots," he sneered.

"Beast Boy," Raven gasped, holding herself as still as she could. She felt his snort brush past her ear.

"Not the one you know." Before she could so much as blink he'd thrown her back as easily as if she weighed three pounds, causing her to stumble. Raven caught herself against the wall, rubbing her neck and staring absolutely confounded. Garfield smirked eerily, snapping off the second restraint and cracking his wrists. "You really should get your facts straight. I'm actually rather surprised; you usually don't waste your time on pointless things like chastising the wrong guy."

"Who are you?!"

"Come on Rae," he mocked, standing up and advancing on her. "I'm the traitor."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I don't even know where to start. It seems to me like I just updated this a month or two ago max, but I know that's not true. My mind seems to be functioning some what outside the normal temporal zone... I don't know how what I've done could possibly have taken so long! I'll blame IB, Facebook (Don't do it! It eats your life!) and my deteriorating mental condition. I'll start an IB Update-er on my profile so we can all keep track of what I've finished and what I still need to do. Perhaps it will induce compassion and no one will feel the need to slap me. ^_^ As far as this chapter, I have probably put in a good 48 hours writing it (not including: eating, sleeping, vege-ing, doing homework, going to school, driving, riding, being a ninja, etc.) into it in a desperate attempt to make vital exposition just as fascinating as people getting thrown against walls. A difficult process. But the plot has reached the cliff of death and I must give you the bridge of explanations so you might cross. I have worked long and hard to make said bridge strong and aesthetically pleasing so, although it might not get your heart pounding, it should prove to be most interesting. All (well, most) Questions Answered Here!**

**Disclaimer: I love sushi way too much not to be spending all profits I make off of this on it. I am sushi-less, therefore no profit. Hence, still don't actually own Teen Titans. No suing please, almost starving college student. Can't afford a lawyer.**

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There's always something very therapeutic about beating the life out of inanimate objects. The irony is amusing, the exertion and strain are soothing, and the pain of impact is a sharp reminder of the life that still animates your body. The knowledge of your own strength is reassuring and power of your body intoxicating. Robin liked that feeling. He thoroughly enjoyed knowing that his efforts were having the intended effect. Hit the bag, it flies away, it comes back, hit it again. Simple, easy. He liked to have his book and have things go by it. Robin said punch and his fist punched. Robin said get away and nothing moved faster than said inanimate object. Predictable, controled. Every situation has its plan and every plan has its orders and every order is followed to the letter. Robin often felt that if his system were adhered to a little more strictly in the field, every operation would go more smoothly. Not that he didn't appreciate his Team's initiative, it was just that he was right and they were wrong. After all, he was in command.

In a nut shell, Robin liked power. He liked to have power, liked to be in charge. It sounds a little creepy, as he had been told on several occasions, but it was nonetheless true. Besides, it wasn't like he was talking about taking over the world or anything. He didn't want to enslave humanity and launch some kind of crusade for the sake of gaining more power. Heck, he thought most politicians were nuts, let alone weirdos with world-concoring ambitions. No, that sort of classic, easily defined power was not on his wish list. He wanted a different kind of power- had a different kind of power. Stronger, maybe. Cheesy-er, definitely. But power was power, and he liked to be powerful. People listen to you when you're powerful, things get done. In dangerous situations the powerful people decide how the story ends. A good person can make a happy ending and a bad one... Robin often found himself and his friends in bad situations and he liked to be the one with the power. Because when you have power, when you have command, you can do something. You can make a difference. With power you can make it right.

His heel slammed into a semi-soft mass, the impact shooting through his bones and sending the stuffed back flying. It strained against the chain which held it to the ceiling for a moment, then came swinging back with enough force to knock a 300 pound male to his rear. It was met by an iron knee, halting it before it could conceive of a goal, and a spinning back kick to send it back to wait for another attack. The punching bag swung back and Robin caught it against his chest, breathing heavily through his nose. He'd snuck back into the artifacts room after the 'Team meeting', which couldn't really be called such because they had been missing a member, to stare at the ruins and documents until he was seeing them in a whole new language, trying to make sense of some of it. It might have helped if he could read ancient Greek or whatever the stuff was written in, but that's not the point. The point was that there was no visible indication of exactly what he had witnessed at the museum, how or why it had happened, and what it meant. No mater how he spun it, there were no replies in the old vases, no riddles to be solved, no answers to be had.

Who ever had locked the siren up, be it man or gods, obviously didn't think the why or an instruction manual on how to put her back were important. He/They clearly didn't foresee her landing in some innocent teen super hero's lap. If it had been up to Robin, there would have been at least one vase giving people a strait answer. But no, that wasn't part of the deal. The genius masterminds had only left one artifact that could explain anything. One database of information that knew what actually happened and what was going to happen. And it could lie. _She _had the knowledge and the power and only _she _could share it. The girl- siren called Zinara, the enemy. There were no words to adequately describe how much that... _annoyed_ him.

Starfire, being the extremely intelligent woman she is, had known better than to trust him to sleep, and had found him pouring over ceramic vases with paintings of nude women on them an hours after she had explicitly told him "Please go to sleep". There had been nothing for it but to be thankful she wasn't a human woman who would find 'her man' looking at other women, even painted women in the course of an investigation, a crime punishable by 'breaking up' and be marched back to his room, tucked in, and subjected to surveillance until she fell asleep at the foot of his bed. He'd covered her up with a blanket and tried to follow suit for her sake. No such luck. He gave up the pretense of sleep very quickly and left the room. At that point he'd had three options: go back to the evidence and stare at it some more, go to the safe room and beat it out of the little siren, or go to the training room and take his irritations out on the punching bag. Since the first would have led to weeks of Starfire's pudding of sadness or whatever, tearful/ betrayed looks from big green eyes, and a lifetime of no-dates-because-you-just-ignor-me and guilt trips, it was out. The second would probably lead to something similar, but from the whole Team, the media, and quite possibly the old Greek gods... and maybe death, so that was out. Leaving him with nothing to do but promise himself that, if he split the punching bag and had to buy a new one, then he was sufficiently frustrated to risk the other two options and would go actually be productive.

So there he was, not helping, not figuring anything out, not doing his job, hitting a bag like a giant child and moaning "Woe is me", and probably bruising his knuckles. Not improving the situation. And this was perhaps the most... hateful thing of all. Usually he had the power he needed to do what must be done. Usually he didn't have to resort to beating bags at ungodly hours of the night. Usually he was strong enough to fix whatever was wrong. From dirty socks to crazed villains to forgotten anniversaries, Robin had it covered. He could coax and scheme and cover with the best of them. If all else failed, he could usually beat the problem into submission, but that was only in extremely rare cases and hadn't been considered since Slade's last appearance.

Not this time. No, this time he had to resort to asking nicely. This time _she _had something over him, a consequence for any action he took. Do nothing and she'd destroy the world, act and she'd destroy the Team. There should be no question, he should choose the world, but she had that blocked off too. With a wink of her eye, a twitch of her finger, she could take almost everything he'd ever loved away from him, the family he'd found to replace his own, murdered just like the first. Even before she was physically there she'd had control of all their hearts, like a cancer who's spidery fingers reached out from the consumed organ to infect the rest of the body. Disabled, debilitated, and cursed to remain so until they had some information on how and why she did it. Zinara was the one pulling the strings- **his **strings- the one writing the script they had no choice but to follow. This time, Robin was powerless.

He elbowed the bag viciously, leaving a dent in its padded surface and yanking out a groan from the fabric flesh. As it hesitated in the air, he hit it again with an open palm strike, then a side kick. The bag moaned, pleading with him to take a break, but he would not relent. Sweat dampened his brow and back, causing the skin to rub uncomfortably against his uniform, his breath grating across the otherwise silent air. There were so many things, so many ways he knew, to hurt a person. Things you couldn't do to a bag. A strike to the joints ensures they won't move, a twist of the wrist the easiest way to send the body to the ground. Two fingers in the right places possess enough power to bring anyone to their knees in pain. Against a body Robin was deadly; but this bag, it seemed, was immune. Protected from him. Just like Zinara. Robin back-hand sprung away from the bag, clipping it with his steel-toed boots as he did so and, with the blistering cry he had held in since entering the room, he launched back towards it, spun is body around twice with his leg out to gain momentum, and smashed his foot into the bag's side. There was a second of stillness where he felt the impact radiate out like a shock wave. Then the bag let out a grunt of surrender and caved. A ripping sound pierced the air and the next thing Robin knew he had landed crouched on the ground and there was stuffing raining down around him.

* * *

"Does your kind not believe is privacy for the freaks, or is it just you?" Robin had thought his entrance had been stealthy and silent. Apparently, the insanity in the pit of his stomach had given him away. That, or maybe it was the loud sliding noise the door made when he'd pressed his hand onto the scanner... Robin needed sleep, his brain wasn't working. Not that he had any intention of getting any, he just needed it. He slid into the room, emerging from the shadows to face her full on. There was a sloppy cot in front of the door, as if someone had tossed it in in a hurry without really caring where it went or who it was for. The apathy with which the sheets and pillow were strewn across the thin, foam matters was a testament in itself to what the Titans felt for Zinara, and how she felt for them. A means to get what they wanted. The room was tall and large, extending up into blackness like most in Titan's Tower, despite the fact that it was maybe 30 feet from the floor. Anti-magic symbols glowed in bands across the dark walls boldly, offering shallow promises of containment. At the center of each wall there was a large, white circle glinting with what was supposed to be the most powerful symbol of them all, at least for their purposes. To Robin it just looked like a pompous sigma with a couple dots on top, but all the books said this was "The best mojo there is!" according to Beast Boy. He'd been one of the central researchers for this room. Across from the door near the ceiling there was a huge, bright pink rectangle that served as a window into the room. If he'd been thinking strait, Robin would have been up there watching the girl, not down in the trenches trying to take the direct approach. The room surged with Cyborg's security installations and enhancements and the air was charged with defense. In theory, this was the most secure room in the Tower. Their best attempt at protection. It had failed them the last time, so why they expected it to work now was quite the mystery.

There was a large white circle in the middle of the floor and on that circle stood Zinara. She was waring what Robin recognized as some of Beast Boy's street clothes: cacky shorts and a green tea-shirt. Both clashed horribly with her and were pathetically too big. Her back was turned and her dusty/feathered hair was pulled over one shoulder. Her sparrow feet were bare and her taloned hands relaxed by her sides. Like Beast Boy's shirt, they looked much too big for her. Cyborg's equipment emitted a soft cyan light, same as everything he built, that clashed terribly with Zinara's almost golden aura. It reflected off her sickly pale skin and glittered in her hair, shining, making her look dirty. Robin could hear her breathing, quick and shallow, like she was terrified, but her voice held nothing but relaxed disdain. She didn't even turn her owlish face to him as she tossed insults carelessly over her shoulder. "Of course, a silly question. I already know the answer. But I feel like it would be rude not to ask. I know what humans are like; Garfield's optimism is just a little infectious." Robin's jaw tightened, but he refrained from moving. Something, either his own wavering self control or her hypnotic voice, was keeping him grounded. She laughed like crystals singing. "So, you've come to see me, human. What for, I wonder."

"I'm going to ask you some questions," Robin said firmly, trying to assert his control over the situation. The person in control would be the one getting what they wanted from the other. He wouldn't be decieved by that sparrow body; Zinara wanted something from him as well. "You're going to answer. Short, civilized."

"Civilized," she snorted. "I can smell the hatred on you. Don't try to deny it."

"I'm not," he said coldly, holding his ground.

"Is that so," she quipped, bitterly. "Well then." She tossed her hair over her shoulder so it could breath down her back and pool on the floor behind her. "Let's be frank then. What do you want to know?" Her head followed her hair, one raptor eye locking his in a surprisingly fierce gaze. Robin met it with equal intensity, folding his arms and letting the door close. Locked in together.

"I want to know why you were imprisoned, what you've done to Beast Boy, and what you're planning," he said calmly. She cocked an eyebrow and grinned, a shadow of Beast Boy's mischief, before turning away from Robin to face the opposite wall again.

"Interesting. And where- excuse me for asking- are your little friends? Aren't they just as curious as you? Are you denying them that right or did it just not occur to you that I might be more willing to divulge my secrets to one of them? Maybe the half-breed. I like her. Where is she, I wonder" Silence. He wasn't about to tell her he was there alone and give her the impression that she could take him. Nor could he confirm their support for an action they had explicitly forbidden him from doing. But she knew that. "Did you leave them behind? Did you decide they'd get in your way again? Teammates can be so annoying like that. It's really a wonder you put up with them at all. Then agin, it was all Raven's idea, right? You never really liked the 'team' notion. You work alone." That little tidbit had never gone past the five of them. It made Robin nauseous, knowing that she knew. His expression remained impassive.

"Yes," he said shortly. "Raven was the one who suggested we form a team. I used to work alone, before we met." Zinara gave a euphoric tweet, sensing his aggravation. "Don't think your regurgitation impresses me. We know about you, there's no reason you shouldn't know about us."

"Know about me, do you!?" She spun around, her voice and eyes sharp, gold repelling the blue for an instant, all pretense of civility lost as her own wrath flared. He'd struck a nerve, a very sensitive, very volatile nerve. Robin grinned openly, smirking at her. Her head moved toward him and cocked to the side in two sharp, bird-like movements, her lips tight and eyes ablaze. Her talons flexed and scraped across the floor, though her hands and posture remained relaxed.

"You're not the only one with an information source."

"Yes, I'm sure whatever you have on me is much more relevant and informative than _everything _in Garfield's mind!" His smile twitched. She was right... again. Whatever they knew about her, she knew tenfold about them. Zinara raised her chin and narrowed her eyes defiantly. Back in control. "Why else would you resort to talking to me? Don't assume for an instant that you have the faintest idea of what I can and can't do. You perceive nothing of what is relevent. _I _know about _you, _human."

"Obvoiusly."

"You know what I hate the most," she bit sharply, pointing a trembling talon at him. Her face was a mess of barely controlled emotions seeking an outlet. Robin braced himself apathetically. "It's vermin like you; humans who cozy up to the freaks like they're one of them. You pretend you care, that you actually love the mongrel you call a friend so they let their guard down. And then, as soon as they trust you, you stab them in the back. You take away everything they ever knew, everything that matters, and leave them with nothing but the truth. It must be sheer agony for you to be standing here with me. It must just eat at your soul to acknowledge that I have what you want. That we have what you need. How does it feel, I wonder, to consort with the freaks you pretend to call friends whom you really detest-"

"I feel nothing," Robin said calmly as his skin crawled with suppressed anger. "About any of that."

"I'm sure you don't," Zinara spat, turning her back in him once again. Robin narrowed his eyes and leaned against the wall. The moments ticked by silently, each trying to wait out the other. Each waiting with a dagger clenched behind their back for the other to make the first move. How dare she presume to understand the workings and feelings of his complex Team. How dare she even suggest that there was anything but friendship, trust, and affection between them. How dare she _insinuate_ that he, Robin, had anything against those who lacked a certain degree of normalcy. That he would ever willingly betray them. If anything it was among the Titans that Robin felt any sense of belonging. The only things that had more influence over his behavior were duty and justice. The Titans all knew and respected that; Zinara's words held no weight for him. He wasn't about to tell her any of that, however. He didn't need to. She'd crack soon enough without a personal debate. His presence all by itself was doing the job of grating on her nerves quite nicely. All he had to do was wait her out, and he'd get what he came for.

Finally, with a hiss like a hammer to a piano, Zinara made a move. "What do you want?"

"Answers," said Robin plainly. It was intended to irritate her into an informative rant and hopefully end the exchange peacefully. Instead Zinara paused a moment and then relaxed, turning to face Robin again and folding her arms to mirror him. There was a triumphant smile on her thin, wide lips, and her large yellow-gold eyes seemed to glow enthusiastically. Her entire demeanor was in utter contrast to what it had been not a minute before. That made Robin a bit nervous.

"Answers..." she said contemplatively, as if to taste the word. Her smile was really starting to worry Robin, but kept his mouth shut. In truth, there were very few things she could tell him that he didn't want to hear. After all, he'd come down here to find out what she knew. That meant everything. "Answers. Well, all right then. What questions do you want to ask?"

"Are you serious," he asked skeptically. Was she going to give it up, just like that? She laughed at him as she would a small child.

"Quite. But let me ask you something first. A point of clarification. Are you sure of what you came here to find? What decisions you want me to help you with?" He just stared at her in what could best be deciphered as 'huh?' shaking his head. "I don't think you are."

"Really."

"Yes, human, really." Great, now she was going to patronize him. "Here, I'll make this easy for you. I know how, I know you want to believe in 'your team' and that you're all one big happy family and that the misfits can concur evil. I've seen it in Garfield's mind."

"In Beast Boy's mind, huh? Look, I'm sorry, but that really isn't a credible source as far as I'm concerned."

"I think you'll find him more perceptive than you assume," she snapped. She took a deep breath and continued in the same, child-scolding voice. "I actually know quite a bit about you. Your apprenticeship with a monster, your abandonment of your 'friends' to pursue that monster, your certainty that, when it comes to what is really important, only a human like yourself can make the right decision. I've seen your kind's smug, ignorant superiority continues to this day, seen that what I set out to do still needs to be done." Her façade was slipping again, the pent up anger she was barely containing seeping through like a spill across a cloth. Her arms dropped to her sides, her hands balled into fists. "You're all so full of yourselves, you humans. You speak of science and progress and acceptance when you don't even know what those words mean. You understand _nothing!_"

"Enough. We're not here to discus humanity."

"I think you'll find we are."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" The edge in his voice caught her, reminding her that, for the moment, it was more satisfying to taunt him than to yell at him. Hurt the heart first, and leave the shell to its own useless endeavors.

"All in good time, human. All in good time. First, I'm going to help you with this whole situation. Take you through the process step by step. So you'll have all the information before you make the wrong decision. Then you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Zinara leaned forward slightly, folding her arms behind her back staring, baiting him. "You don't deserve it, but I'll help you any way. I'll make your fight easy."

"What are you talking about? The only fight I have is with you and from over here it looks like I'm winning." He sat up and took a few steps toward her. "You are in my Tower, locked up, defenseless and powerless. I am interrogating you and you're going to tell me what I want to know. That's how it works in my world. Welcome to the 21st century." She tossed her head and laughed like bells.

"You really don't know what's going on, do you. So I am your opponent? Your only opponent?" He froze, she smiled wickedly. "Please correct me if I'm wrong (which I'm not), but have I tried to kill you yet? Am I the one who ruined your cute little cape and tore your little outfit?" It took him a minute to fully understand what she was implying. She smiled hauntingly and dropped her arms, moving to meet him. "Your blood isn't lingering on _my_ hands." Zinara placed a scaly, three fingered hand on his cheek, scrapping her talons across soft flesh. "Nor is that of your alien friend." Robin hit her wrist with his forearm, nocking it away defensively and leaving it quite numb.

"It wasn't Beast Boy either." She was so tiny, he had to stare down to make eye contact like a child, yet so deadly. "It wasn't him. It was all you in his skin. I don't know what you've done with him, but Beast Boy wasn't in that exhibit last night." It was difficult to allow her to remain so close to him, but there was no other option. She was like the cat that kept coming back regardless of how many times you shoved it off the couch. She smiled at his dilemma.

"Wasn't he? It looked like who you call Beast Boy, sounded like him, thought like him. Tell me why it wasn't him?"

"You _may_ know him pretty well, but so do I. Beast Boy isn't capable of something like that." Her smile widened.

"Are you certain? Do you actually know you're little friend as well as you think you do? Do you know Garfield Mark Logan?" He recognized the first name, Beast Boy's given name. But the rest of it he'd never heard before; they'd agreed to keep their pasts in the past. He knew Beast Boy, but Mr. Logan... "Let me tell you a story about a little, green boy and his adventures in where you call Africa and the States."

* * *

"The traitor?" Raven coughed, still rubbing her neck with one hand. The other was sprawled against the wall, supporting her as she recovered. When she'd walked into the interrogation room, she'd expected some harsh words, maybe some banging. A verbal fight, an assault of the mind, if you will. Something she would win without a doubt. She had not expected to be attacked. Yet there she was, nursing her wounds and grateful Beast Boy hadn't done any real damage. Go figure.

"That's right Rae," Garfield said, stopping hardly three feet from her, smirking. "The one who's helping Zinara, the one who's been taking the individual you call Beast Boy to see her, the one who orchestrated her release. The one you accused of all those nasty things." He reached out and caught a lock of her violet hair, twirling it about his finger affectionately. "The one who almost defeated the Titans. Who would have defeated the Titans if a certain half-blooded demon hadn't turned up." She grabbed his wrist and gave it a sharp twist, bringing him to his knees. He grinned at the pain. "The traitor."

"What did you do with Beast Boy."

"What's wrong," Garfield shot from the floor, his eyes gleaming and a laugh chafing his throat. "I thought you wanted to talk to me? I'm here now, we're talking, so what's the problem?" She dug her nail into the pressure point between his thumb and pointer, ripping out a hiss of pain and a snort of amusement. "Did you change your mind? Women are like that."

"Do not talk to me about women." She locked his elbow and shoulder with another twist and shoved him away, setting her face into absolute apathy.

"Oh, so cold! But what did I expect from the one who resorted to effectively smoking me out." He pushed himself to his feet and brushed imaginary dirt from his front "Really Rae, you were pretty harsh there. Why he loves you is beyond me, like much of what he feels. He does though. He thinks about you all the time. And then you go and do something like this and he is completely devastate-"

"Enough," Raven snapped, jerking her head to the left and closing her eyes, trying to calm the violent reaction of emotions he was stirring within her. "We are not here to discuss Beast Boy's irrationality."

"Ouch."

"Shut up!" Raven advanced on him. Garfield stood his ground. "The truth is the truth."

"And the truth is you don't feel the same way." Raven froze, her violet eye like ice as she met his unblinking, luminous gaze, her jaw set, her teeth grinding. How was she supposed to know if she felt the same way? She'd been trained to suppress all emotion, not express it as obviously as she could. To hide, not to seek. She'd been in love, or what she thought was love, all of once and the guy turned out to be an evil dragon intent on destroying the world. Not an experience she wanted to repeat. Yet there she was, and she had no answer.

"That is none of your concern," she said shortly, not blinking. His smirk widened, like he'd just been given the final piece to a puzzle. Like she'd just given him exactly what he wanted.

"You know he can hear everything, _feel _everything. We share a body, a mind." He reached out to her again, this time to brush his fingertips across her cheek. She didn't recoil. "He may not be in control, per say, but he's still here. He felt the fight, felt the ride here, he knows what you're doing to him. I can't describe just how much it hurts everything you open your mouth, when you look at him, when you don't." He let his hands dropped, still smirking. "The truth is the truth, right?" Raven snapped. She raised her hand and swung it with enough force to chip a tooth at his face. He caught it just before impact, his grip soft but firm, his eyes gentle and hurt and emerald. Then the moment passed and the smirk was back. "Touchy."

"Do not presume to know what I think of Beast Boy or how I feel about him. You have _no right_ to meddle in our relationship or even to formulate opinions on it! You will cease and desist." She pulled her arm from his grip and spun around, cooling her temper.

"As you wish." She gave him a very unamused look. There was a glimmer of Beast Boy in the quote, but only a glimmer. "So, my princess, what would you like to discuss instead?"

"You are going to tell me who and what you are, what you're planning, and why your doing it. And what you did to Beast Boy."

"Here I was under the impression that you were smarter than this," he said with a sigh. "I am Beast Boy."

"No. No you're not."

"No, really, I am. See Rae: same face, same voice, same body and powers. By all definitions the same person."

"Not the same," corrected Raven, a 'gotcha' smile glinting in her eyes. "I know what happened at the museum. Beast Boy can't turn into a manticore or any kind of mythical creature. You can. Beast Boy would never attack me. You did. Beast Boy would not be speaking to me the way you are. Your mannerisms are different, your eyes are different. _You_ are not him." Garfield raised his hands and clapped a few times mockingly.

"Very good Rae. Very observant. But what was I expecting? The manticore came from Zinara, though I must say that figuring out the technicalities of it during a fight was quite difficult. I quite literally had to put the pieces together in my mind before the body caught on. You may already know, but this body can change into any known creature whose genetic structure can be created by rearranging the preexisting one. Of course, your Beast Boy does it without thinking; I had to work through the process. The flip side is that I understand it, hence, I can do what he cannot. Whatever I want whenever I want. It's a skill that's proven to be most... useful. I'm surprised he never thought of it."

"I'm not interested in the technicalities of Beast Boy' s body."

"Really? I thought you wanted to know about me. The little secrets you were never privy to before. I'll tell you what he won't. Are you going to throw that away? Aren't you _curious?_"

"So you admit you're someone else."

"No, not someone else. Not exactly. I am Beast Boy." Raven's nostrils flared and her lips tightened light she was going to hit him again. "But not as you define him."

"Tell me who you are," she barked.

"I've been thinking of myself as Garfield." Raven's brow furrowed in confusion and Garfield laughed outright. "That's what Zinara calls both of us, but it seemed a more appropriate title for me specifically. I'm no supper hero."

"That is obvious." Garfield's smile dropped and for a moment he looked annoyed. It was Raven's turn to smirk.

"Cute." She remained passive and focused, much to Garfield's aggravation.

"So you're a separate personality created by Zinara. For what purpose?"

"Here I thought you were catching on." Raven narrowed her eyes and Garfield smiled again smugly. "I'm not a complete person nor was I created by Zinara. I wasn't created by anyone for that matter, unless you count Beast Boy, of course. I am a natural response to natural, human, emotions."

"Will you stop speaking in riddles and give me a strait answer! What are you? Some kind of psychological schism? A fracture in his mind? Some other form of psychological nonsense?"

"Schism, yes. That's a good word," Garfield replied pensively, ignoring the hostility and agitation in her voice. "I am him, but only a part of him, as complete an individual as the emotions in Nevermore." Raven turned away from him and tugged her hood into place defensively at the mention of her own mind. She still wasn't sure if she'd forgiven the real Beast Boy for going there in the first place. To have this impostor speak knowledgeably about it was intolerable. Garfield grinned a little sadistically. "Now now, I'm not going to talk unless I can see that pretty little face. Besides, it's not anything we haven't talked about before. On occasion. When you're upset, remember?" He reached up to push her hood back, but she slapped his hand away, removing it herself reluctantly, disconcerted.

"Not with you," she snapped, walking away from Garfield and leaning against the wall. "Just so we're clear, you are the last person I would go to when I'm upset."

"And yet here you are, upset and with me. Interesting, isn't it."

"I'm not talking to you because I was upset, I am upset because I'm talking to you!" The words hissed out before she could restrain them, causing her to mentally slap herself for indulging in his banter. This was not Beast Boy, he did not want to help her, he wanted her to leave. Getting mad was exactly what he wanted her to do; get mad and say/do something stupid. She took a deep calming breath and forced herself to look at him. "Continue." He pouted his lips and rolled his eyes, bored.

"Fine, be that way."

"Now! What part of Beast Boy are you? What is your function?"

"Do you really want those answers, they might shock you. And I know how well you handle surprises." Her steely gaze was his answer. He wrinkled his nose in disdain, but kept talking nonetheless. "I am what you might call a guardian. My purpose is to protect you Beast Boy from emotional trauma."

"I don't understand."

"Think of it as... an emotional callous. A callous forms to protect the skin from damage after exposure to potentially damaging activities. Your feet get calloused when you walk barefoot outside too much. I'm sure yours are as smooth and soft as rose petals though."

"We are not here to discuss my feet," Raven bit angrily. She was finally getting the answers she needed and would not be distracted now. Her gaze and voice hardened, comanding. "Explain." He raised his eyes indignantly. As if he didn't appreciate being ordered around.

"You should know that I'm only saying this because it's you. Don't push it." Raven felt like she was going to bite her tongue off holding back the smart reply. Instead, she took the high road.

"Please explain." He grinned and looked like he was going to try and pat her on the head, but refrained.

"When you go through a traumatic experience, involving loss and/or guilt or just plain pain, it hurts as much as any bodily wound. But when it's over, your tougher. Your heart creates something to protect you from the pain, a strength you use to get through it. That strength remains with you. It grow with each incident, an internal defense against the agony of feeling. I am a manifestation of that emotional callous and my purpose is to protect your Beast Boy from inner harm."

"So," Raven said slowly. "You are, in essence, an emotion."

"A defense against emotion, given a separate existence by Zinara. I cannot feel, I cannot leave, but for the first time I can take direct action in the external world." Raven held up her hand to silence him and furrowed her brows, thinking hard. "Think of it Rae," he continued. "Change is coming, and we'll give you a piece of it. Zinara and me. All you have to do is-"

"What do you mean by 'given a separate existence',"she cut in, not looking at him. "Zinara, near as we can tell, is just a siren-human hybrid. She shouldn't be able to do that, nothing should. None of my research indicates-"

"Shhh." Garfield brought a finger to his lips and smiling. "If you want to know, I'll tell you. No need to get flustered." His tone was joking and his eyes bright with good humor and affectionate amusement. It was familiar... Very, very familiar. It took her a moment to realize it.

"I am not flustered. I am simply-" Raven's voice dropped off suddenly and she cocked her head, regarding him analytically and, almost, hopefully. "Beast Boy?" He smiled affectionately, a large toothy grin she was very accustomed to. "Beast Boy!" He twitched at the name, looking away abruptly and grabbing his head with one hand, frowning suddenly.

"Nice try, but it's still me." Raven couldn't help but sigh, looking up and letting her shoulders drop. "Don't look so disappointed. I'm not giving up control; we're to close to go time and I'm not going to let your little boyfriend incriminate himself any more than he already has. Guilt is counter productive. Now, if you want to know how Zinara separated me from him, say so. If not, leave. I've got plans." Raven bit her lip, caught. It was so cold to continue to interrogate him especially after she'd seen Beast Boy, her Beast Boy, fighting to get through, but she needed this information. She needed Garfield to stay. She'd gone to the interrogation room to understand what was happening, she couldn't leave until she knew everything. She just couldn't. Closing her eyes and praying Beast Boy would forgive her for taking advantage of his offer, she said so.

"Tell me what she did."

"It's not so much what she did, but what she used to do it," he said cryptically, his voice and face devoid of any expression. Raven raised her eyebrows at him. "The Half-Heart."

"The thing that's pulsing in you stomach now, linking you to Zinara. What of it?"

"Correction, only half of it is in my stomach. The other half is in Zinara's chest. It's important because it is the source of everything. What it is, I have no idea. What it does, though... I am, what you might say, an expert in what it does."

"Really, I would never have guessed since you _swallowed it_."

"You know your beautiful when you're sarcastic."

"The Half-Heart."

"A remarkable piece of ancient magic that has the ability to separate anything from anything else with only one restraint. The two must remain attached. Independent but linked. I am not Beast Boy, but we share a physical existence."

"Does that mean..." Raven was staring at the floor, her heart racing against her ribs, her breath coming faster than was normal, trying to supply her brain with enough oxygen to assimilate what she was hearing. "Can you two be reintegrated?"

"The power to break, not to fix. If there's a reverse process I don't know it. Zinara probably does, but I didn't ask. It's not my job. My job is to keep Beast Boy from emotional damage and Zinara's plan is my best chance. That's all I care about."

"Her plan," Raven snapped angrily, the reality and disparity of the situation finally getting to her, blasting past her defenses and setting her emotions loose like a torrent spills over a dam. "Is to destroy the world! Destroy all of humanity."

"I don't care about humanity," Garfield snapped back, suddenly right in her face. "And unless your Beast Boy decides beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm wrong and **fights me**, then it's my decision and my call. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep him safe."

"How did this happen? And Why?" Raven snapped, her voice rising with the panic and anger in her chest. "Garfield, if that's what you want to call yourself, I don't understand your part in any of this! Why are you helping Zinara? What possible reason could you have for doing any of this? What do you have against people!"

"Are you so blind to the damage around you," Garfield snapped, dropping his charming act and throwing his arm out as if to gesture to the world. "Family, friends, society, humanity! All monsters waiting to rip his heart out again. They will hurt him, have hurt him, in ways you cannot imagine. I will not let that happen!"

"So that justifies attacking your own team," Raven yelled back, her fists tight by her sides. "That justifies taking him away from us? The killing of innocents? The destruction of the world? For what! So Beast Boy doesn't have to cry a few tears because some girl at the mall wouldn't giver him her phone number?"

"You have no idea," he said softly. "No idea. You think you got answers? You understand nothing! I don't care about _any of that!_ I will not let him suffer any more, even if it means I have to lock him away forever! I will freeze the pain he's feeling and destroy anything and anyone I perceive as a threat. That includes you Raven."

"So this is about me now, is it?" Garfield lunged at her, grabbing her wrists and pinned her to the wall, speaking very softly into her face.

"It's always about you. Do _not _underestimate your own importance. I may not be able to hurt you, not significantly anyway, but I am in control and I will do what I must, Never doubt that. Beast Boy has been through enough; don't try and stop me." He let her go with a small shove, turning his back on her and walking back to the center of the room. Raven watched him go with a seething look, rubbing her wrists. "You're Beast Boy has put up with more than you could imagine. Things that, if the dear Team knew about, could get him into some very serious trouble. Things that would send him back into the lonely isolation he so fears." Raven paused for a moment and then, swallowing like she was about to walk into a house of horrors, she moved behind him and placed a thin, pale hand onto his shoulder.

"What sort of things?"

* * *

"Tell, me fearless leader, did you know that America's most wanted eight year old is sitting in your interrogation room?"

"Excuse me," said Robin very, very quietly. "The only proven criminal here is you."

"Not just me," she corrected. "Your Beast Boy is too. Unless the definition of 'proven' has changed to 'what Robin knows about' since I've been away."

"What are you talking about? We're discussing you, not my Team."

"Me..." She brought her face up to his to whisper into his ear. "And my plan. My partner. You know, the one who's helping me behind your back and against your orders? The one who set me free. Who got you involved in all of this. Garfield. Mark. Logan." Robin couldn't help himself. He shoved her away, sending her to the ground. It had been a gentle push (comparatively), but she was so light and frail. He'd tossed feather pillows that were heavier than her. Zinara hit the ground with a yelp, but looked pleased by his reaction.

"Don't change the subject. This doesn't have to do with anything," he demanded, pointing an accusing finger at her. She smiled at the pain, savoring the bitter sensation that gave her life purpose.

"Are you being intentionally obtuse? It has to do with your decision, how you plan on continuing. The next step." She pushed herself back to her feet gingerly, whimpering a little. Robin thought she was being dramatic to make him feel bad, but felt uncomfortable none the less. "When he was little he watched his parents die. Then a witch doctor hired some American thugs to kill him. They saw what he could do and decided to kidnap him instead, brought him back with them to steal. Who've known he'd adapt so quickly to his knew life. So- how to phrase it in a way you'll understand- efficiently." She hadn't said his name- hadn't needed to. Robin stood frozen to the spot, staring at her with as much skepticism as he could, but the words were seeping into his brain faster than he could push them away. She had every reason to lie, yet his gut told him that this, all of it, each delicately crafted, beautiful word, was the truth. Something about the little green boy, the way he sidestepped every question about his past, the way they had to learn his name from the Doom Patrol and even then only his first, the knack he had for hacking and sneaking into places he wasn't supposed to be. As far as Robin knew it had always been in good humored fun; questionable, not-quite-illegal, friendly, childish fun. But little green changelings don't just show up on the streets of L.A. and live normal lives. What had he been expecting? Had he honestly thought that a crane had just dropped Beast Boy onto the Doom Patrol's doorstep? Had he though Beast Boy more innocent than himself?

"Garfield was particularly good at his job. Eight year olds are so easy to manipulate, especially eight year old creatures with no where else to go. All they had to do is tell him that, no matter what they did, the rest of humanity would do worse and he believed them. One day he hid the gems and gold instead of delivering it and the two mercenaries killed each other while he cowered behind a crate. Then he took to the streets until a certain band of self-rightious misfits caught him and felt sorry for the kid. I take it from the look on your face this is all news to you."

"You're wrong,"Robin said quietly, tilting his chin down and giving her is sternest gaze. For most people that would have been enough to freeze their bones, but Zinara's grin just widened, pulling her lips into something between a smirk and a snarl. "Beast Boy couldn't have; he was a member of the Doom Patrol, a crime fighter since childhood. He's a hero, not a thief. Not a killer."

"Beast Boy, no. But that's not Beast Boy in your little room, is it? That's Garfield, the shapeshifter who has as much reason to hate humanity as I do. That's the man whose hidden in plain sight all these years, who tricked you, who lied to you. Attacked you. Beat you."

"He did not beat me." Robin articulated every word precisely, his patience beginning to ware thin. He couldn't let her turn him against his own Team, he just couldn't. And yet every conditioned super-hero, overly righteous, law/ rule abiding, leader fiber in his body told him Garfield fit his definition of a criminal. In the black and white realm of criminal justice he was firmly in the black. That he had to stop both of them, regardless of personal feelings. It was a cold sensation, a chill he nonetheless fought to keep localized. Because despite all that, despite the analysis his brain produced, Beast Boy was still his friend. Still a Titan. "You've been manipulating him, forcing him to fight us. Whatever Beast Boy's done before now, whatever is on his hands as opposed to yours, will be dealt with as soon as you've fixed him and are back in that cell where you belong!"

"So now you're going to threaten me? Typical. I should have guessed that's what this would deteriorate to."

"Why's that?" Not a denial, enforcement. A reminder of who's finger was on the little red button. With a snort and a snarl, Zinara threw back a retort, tossing her huge mass of hair and allowing it to ripple back to the floor.

"Have you been listening? I've seen your world through _his _eyes." She pointed, with surprising accuracy, to the interrogation room. "I know what you did to Garfield, what you're going to do if I fail. I remember. You don't absolve guilt or monsters. You lock them away. No sun, no warmth, no love. I won't let it happen, you know. I'm going to save him and everyone like him. From you and the rest of humanity!"

"That's funny, because that's not what it looks like from where I'm sitting The way I see it, I'm the one that needs to save Beast Boy and humanity from _you_."

"You just don't understand, do you," she yelled. "I am not controlling anything! He helps me because he chooses to; because he _gets it_! He understands that what I'm doing, what I've begun, must be finished. That it's the best thing for us. Humans cannot be trusted, they can't deal with our kind. You can't stop us! It's already started; the moment I reentered this world it started again. And this time there are no gods to stop me. No prisons left to hold me. The only thing in my way is you, and I must say I don't feel very impeded."

"Then you don't know who you're dealing with," retorted Robin coldly. "I will stop you, no matter what it takes, no matter what you try. I will stop you."

"Stop me will you," Zinara mocked with a laugh like wind chimes. "The Greek gods couldn't do it, what makes you think you can? You don't even know what I'm planning or what I'm capable of. You_ cannot_ play_ my game._"

"Well, that's why I came down here," said Robin in a monotone that rivaled Raven's. "So you can tell me the rules."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: I gotta confess, this one was hard (and I was hoping my number of reviews would become 115 so my OCD-ness would be satisfied, but alas, 114). These two just refused to talk to me so for the first half I kind of had to beat it out of them. But eventually they realized that resistance was futile and despite how embarrassed they both are by the exchange, I wasn't going to let it remain private and leave not only a huge plot hole but also the entirety of backstory untold. So, through many an hours of struggle and refusing to give up, I have finally gotten Chapter 16 finished! Was worried that it would have no body, but once they got talking they wouldn't shut up, so I think it's pretty decent sized. Now, onto the next installment of Siren's Call in which there is some smashing dialogue and lovely exposition, though there aren't any swallows but there are a few sparrow references. Ok, shutting up now. Oh, by the way, IB Done!**

**PS: In a month and 4 days it will be the three year anniversary of when I started writing this story. Chapter 1 was barely 4 pages long and not as fabulous as these more recent ones. I'd like to think it's helped me grow as a writer and provided many a desperately needed ego stroking. So thank you to all dudes who read this! To all those dudes who've been with me the whole time, if you still exist since that's a crazy long time to keep up with a story, super special awesome thank you! You're why I write... and because I just love it, but also you people! Kudos and love! **

**Disclaimer: Despite the Monty Python reference in the Author's Note and the use of Teen Titan's characters and settings, I am not claiming ownership or making a profit off of anything! Except Zinara, she's mine and I love her and there's no copyright on Greek myths so I'm not infringing anything. Don't sue, IB broke.**

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Robin had been in a lot of interrogations. He'd observed the best at the art, practices under their watch, double teamed suspects, gone it alone, attacked all at once, been the good cop, the bad cop, the ally, the antagonist, the jerk, the sympathizer, and anything else you could think of. He'd broken the toughest of minds with little more than words, turned the closest partners against each other, extracted information from beneath the tightest shells like a surgical procedure, acquired knowledge the individual didn't even know they had. All that to say, he knew what he was doing. He'd gotten around, become an expert on how most people act under pressure. Individuals who had nothing and were terrified, individuals who knew everything or had everything to loose, those who had the utmost confidence and those who had none. Everyone, even the ones holding all the cards, broke eventually. Eventually there was the sigh and the outpour. Predictable, like clock work. Robin felt there was nothing left to surprise him. After that much experience, there were no other variables ha needed to account for. That there were only X amount of responses in an interrogation and he'd seen them all. He was wrong.

"Stop me will you," Zinara mocked with a laugh like wind chimes. "The Greek gods couldn't do it, what makes you think you can? You don't even know what I'm planning or what I'm capable of. You_ cannot_ play_ my game._"

"Well, that's why I came down here," said Robin in a monotone that rivaled Raven's. "So you can tell me the rules." This was the part where she gave up the fight, told him what he wanted to know, and justice prevailed. Maybe some anger, a scoff, or just a clean break with tears and regrets. Not quite the case.

They stood in silence, staring daggers. Each hopping that by mere eye-contact they could give the other a heart attack. Then, Zinara began to move again, as if the full implications of his words were beginning to sink in. As if a new thought had reached maturity in her mind and she was acting on it. He half expected her to attack him, judging strictly from the intensity in her eyes, but once again he was mistaken. She'd reached the point where she snapped, just not in any rational manner. First, she raised her eyebrows until they threatened to disappear into her mass of hair. Then, she folded her arms, one across her stomach, the other elbow resting on the fist, taloned hand at her mouth contemplatively. Her lips slowly spread into a genuinely amused smile and she let out a snort of air through her nose. Robin scowled, rather confused to be perfectly honest. This was not one of the top 100 responses to the blatant 'I'm in control and you're going to do what I say' tactic... at least, not at this stage of the interrogation. Theoretically she should have been frustrated enough at that point to tell him what he wanted to know just to get him out of her hair. Maybe to annoy him with the complexities of her scheme. If nothing else, she should have wanted to flaunt her own mastery of this situation; call his bluff so to speak. Robin narrowed his eyes, knuckles cracking ominously as his fists clenched across his chest.

"You don't seem to be taking this very seriously," he said sarcastically into the silence, scowling. "Don't you get it? This is it. The end. We have you, you're not getting away, and I'm not leaving until I know what I came down here to find out. You might as well just give up and tell me." Her mouth tightened as if she were trying desperately to swallow an uncontainable humor. "It's not funny." She- and there's really no better way to put this- exploded. Zinara choked on her own giggle half-heartedly before giving up completely and releasing the most brilliant, rich, warm laugh. Not the cold, arrogant villain laugh. Not the hollow rasp of despair. This was something totally different from anything Robin had dealt with. Frustrated, stressed, yet sill dazzling.

Zinara's laugh rang like the final chord in Handle's Hallelujah Chorus. She doubled over, gasping for air in harsh puffs that juxtaposed with the orchestra of her voice. Robin did the most rational, level headed thing his sleep deprived and overly stressed brain could think of. "Are you insane," he yelled, holding he hands out palms up as if asking the universe itself. "I explain the situation you're in and you laugh? What, did you just loose your mind in the past hundred years or something?"

"You- just-" she tried, still doubled over, practically in tears. "Even now- you- just- refuse. You- can't- can you?" Robin honestly didn't know what to do. The Joker was more logical than this girl, simpler to understand. At least with him he was always laughing, not swinging from homicidal to innocent giggles every ten seconds. He waited patiently and, when she just kept going, gave into the temptation to run his hands over his face in frustration. "It's not even- that you mean to. You're just- oblivious!"

"_Are you finished?_" She let out a final squeak before managing to control herself, simmering down into light titters which shook her thin shoulders.

"I'm sorry. You're just so clueless! All this time we've been talking and you still think you have the tiniest smidgin of control. It's almost like you're not even capable of understanding what's happening!"

"How could I? You won't tell me." His consonants were overly annunciated and his mouth was working very hard to spit out words instead of screams. She, being the kind and compassionate soul he knew was lurking somewhere behind the condescending tone that wouldn't make his life any more difficult, gave him the first clean answer he'd had all week... Not! _Zinara_ broke into fresh giggles which pushed Robin to such an extreme that he snaped. It was either get violent, or break into psychotic laughter. Given the choices, Robin found himself right there giggling with her. "Why- do you have to be- so difficult?"

"You- have me locked up- and- you're interrogating me- and- I'm being difficult?"

"I'm interrogating you- because you want to destroy the world. Don't- feed me that- I'm innocent crap. I saw you-come- out of- my friend's chest- for crying out loud," he said through sarcastic chuckles.

"Oh! So that's- what I'm here to do? Destroy the world? Well- thanks for- telling me. Good to know my own plans, right? You sound..." Her laughter suddenly changed. The frustrated silliness bled from it, leaving only a shell. Shouts that sounded more like sobs than anything else. "You sound just like my father." Robin didn't quite catch the change in mood.

"You had a father?" Sleep deprivation and lingering sentiments of the slap-happy humor that had seized him moments before made him stupid. He'd intended for sarcasm to consume the comment and give it a funny sense of false shock. About the time it was leaving his mouth, Robin realized that that hadn't happened at all. On the contrary, it came out sounding more serious than anything that night. Bad move.

"Of course I have a father," she snapped giving him a death glare that might have been more toxic than one of Raven's. Her amber eyes were burning with anger, pain, but when she realized they also held hot tears she looked away, letting her hair cover her face. "And he was human, incase you wanted to know." Robin regained control instantly. The little give, the hint of motive, it was enough to save him from the brain dead insanity he had allowed himself to succumb to. Now she was talking. He could get somewhere if he asked the right questions. Justice might still prevail. He moved carefully, cautiously, as if to sooth a wounded animal.

"That's not what I meant."

"Of course it is!" The bitter wrath had returned, but this time tinged with the pain of a child. Vulnrability. "You're all the same, you humans. What isn't like you in one way couldn't possibly be similar in others. Everyone always thought I'd just crawled out of some crack somewhere. Maybe hatched from an abandoned egg off a cliff. My own father never wanted to admit ownership, so they were never refuted." Her mouth twitched in disgust and she let out a sharp snort, as if she'd been reminded of something truly unpleasant. "You're just like him you know. Kept me tucked away from prying eyes, came in periodically to ask me pointless questions, 'how' this and 'why' that, heck he even thought I was a demon." She gestured vaguely to the inscribed symbols which had kept this little haven 'demon proof'. The room was also equipped with indestructible cameras, semipermeable gas vents, retinal scanning locks, heat sensors, titanium plating, and pretty much every other security device Cyborg could come up with, but no, she thought she was in there because they believed her to be a bat out of Hell, so to speak. "The only difference is that he was actually funny while you're just pathetic." Robin let out a long, exasperated sigh. This was Raven's turf, all this emotional baggage mumbo-jumbo, not his. Now if she wanted to attack him physically then he was down with that, but Robin was vastly too proud to just stand there and be insulted for no good reason by this stubborn mule of a woman. How much more he could take was debatable. He ran a hand over his face, giving Zinara a hard stare.

She looked very much like she wanted to say something but was too proud to spill the beans unprovoked. Her mouth was tight, wide lips pulled in like a drawstring to hold in anything helpful. There was a willful jut to her chin and her golden eyes sparkled knowingly, pupils dialated. Where before there was aloof arrogance now a hint of mischief. Sulking anger and sharp tongue replaced by almost agonizing restraint. When he'd come into the room, it was to interrogate a criminal, just like always. And that was what she'd been, conceited and disdainful. Her body was tall and lean, her gaze dangerously calm, prepared for battle, prepared to dance around him with ease and savage grace. She'd locked her heart away so deeply it seemed hard to believe she even had one. Safe and ready to defeat the storm with sheer willpower. Now things had shifted. Now there was no woman or criminal or any embodiment of strength before him. She was a child, lost, alone, and very much wanting to tell a deep dark secret. Her heart had risen back to the surface against her will but as much by her hand as his, and with it the answers he sought. The past was there, the why and the how. All he needed to do was reach out and take it... if he could figure out the 'right way' .Then it clicked. If he could be what she hated then she would tell him why. If he could make it safe, then the little girl would come out and tell her story. Not interrogator vs. criminal, but punching bag vs. angry girl.

"I get it," he muttered under his breath, meeting the half-siren's expectant eyes. "These are the rules..."

"What did you say!"

"Is that it? What this whole thing is about? You have Daddy issues? So what, did your dad lock you in a closet when you were a kid and that's why you want to wipe out the human race. "

"What are you, a shrink now," she spat, a mixture of annoyance and thrill in her voice. She wanted to 'go off' on him like a thousand year old mine. She wanted to scream and swear and tell him exactly why he was inferior. And she wanted so desperately for him to feel guilty about it. She wanted someone to feel guilt for the ways humanity had wronged her. The tension and stress which gnawed at Robin's brain were at her throat too. Now all she needed was an excuse, and she'd bring the world to her feet. He was giving it to her.

"I don't need to be. It's obvious. Not to mention pathetic. Let me guess, your dad was a jerk to you and your mom so you decide to take it out on his entire species?"

"You don't know anything! My dad wasn't a jerk he was an ungrateful bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants or take responsibility for his actions! But humanity has brought this on itself by-itself." Zinara's breath was sharper now, her entire body trembling with rage pent up over a thousand years as it dripped from her tongue. The only other person Robin had ever seen this mad was Raven. He counted his blessings that at least Zinara was just yelling as opposed to blowing things up. And that her anger, at least, he had asked for. She took a deep breath and the story he'd sought began to spill from her lips, uncensored and uncontrolled. "The half-breed told you the story, didn't she? A man called Metiochus fell to the song of Parthenope, but instead of drowning him as was the custom of her breed, the siren decided to keep him alive. What possessed her to do so is beyond me, maybe she found him unique some how. Different from the other idiot men who'd pursued her. Never got a chance to find out, once the goddess Demeter discovered that one of her celibate sirens had had a fling with a mortal, she wanted all three of us dead. As it was, Dionysus found the whole thing hilarious and made a deal: Parthenope's life for mine. She swore her services to him and I was allowed to exist. Metiochus was charged with caring for me, if that's what you want to call it."

"Yeah, she did mention something like that, in less detail and with one little difference. The relationship in the legend was unconsummated."

"Oh! The Greeks lied! What a shocker. There are a lot of things wrong with their version of events. I was an embarrassment, it's no wonder they tried to write me out of history."

"So that's why you want to destroy the world! It all makes sense!"

"I don't want to 'destroy the world'."

"Right..."

"And even if I did, that's not why! I couldn't help my conception and I didn't deserve what I got!" There was a long intake of breath and then her voice changed. Lower now, pleading almost. "Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up a freak?" Robin tucked his chin to his chest, folding his arms. She looked like a child, a little lost child trying to understand why her dog was sick. It was an honest question, yet this was the same girl who had put his Team through Hell and was jerking its members about like puppets. Robin couldn't empathize with her and, despite her doe eyes, she didn't want him to.

"Nope, can't say I do." It was a boldfaced lie; Robin grew up first in the circus and then under Batman's care. He was as much a freak as the rest of them. She didn't need to know that. Zinara scoffed.

"Of course not. Well, let me spell it out for you then. We lived on a hill a good half mile outside of town. My father kept me there most of the time. Too humiliated to have fathered a monster, I suppose. But he fed me and cared for me and I'd worshiped him. He could do no wrong and I was too blinded by a child's love to notice his many faults. When I was little we used to play with clay from the well bottom. I'd watch the most beautiful things come forth from his hands and I was so frustrated when these-" She raised her three fingered scaled and taloned fists before he face in revulsion. "-could do nothing but scar his creations. Then he'd laugh, smooth the clay back with his giant thumb, and take my hands in his to work another piece. That was life and I never wondered about the little buildings far bellow or where Daddy went every day." Her eyes dropped, intense golden gaze now focused at the ground as opposed to Robin, voice softening. "Until one day when I was about nine I got curious and followed him. It wasn't like I was threatening in any way beyond not being human, just all big, golden eyes and hollow bones. I remember wondering why no one would talk to me or tell me where my dad had gone to. Why they all darted into their little shops and houses like insects as I walked down the street. Just as I was starting to really explore, my dad found me, took me by the hand and led me home. When I asked why we had to go so soon and why I'd never seen such things before, he didn't answer.

"The next day, at day break as I got up someone came to our hill. I peered through a crack in my door as he burst it, tall and muscular, a round shield attached to his arm and a long sword at his waist. He had skin like my father, dark, curly hair about his ears, and black, empty eyes. My father stood up to greet him, like he knew who this strange man was and why he'd come, pointed to my room and said 'The monster child lives in there. But be warned, it's a curse placed on me by the god Dionysus. It may be unwise to try and kill it without asking for the gods' approval.' That was all. I remember those words specifically because they were his last. I saw the man look right at me, drawing his sword as I hid under the bed. Maybe because I was small and the window was open they'd think I'd run and he wouldn't find me. He did." Her voice was high now, trembling, eyes closed. This was a story never before told, a secret never shared with a human. Pain kept deep inside for too long, stale and rotted.

"They pushed the bed aside and I was thrust suddenly from darkness into cold, unforgiving light. I heard the clink of metal, a battle cry, felt the wind of the incoming blow as I huddled in a ball close to the wall. What else could I do? I closed my eyes and screamed. For the first and only time in my life I screamed, not like the little shrieks you've heard; I screamed loud and hard and by the time I opened my eyes to find their voices had joined my own there was nothing I could have done. My dad was on his knees by the door, hands clamped over his ears as something bright red dripped from them. The 'hero' was still standing and still clutching his sword, but he was swinging it wildly around, trying vainly to disrupt the sound as the same bright red liquid stained his shoulders. Then in an instant steel impacted flesh and it was over. I felt a spray of warm and wet, saw my dad's body hit the floor and heard the heavy steps and shouts of the wounded warrior as he fled. I'd never seen blood before and I tried to keep the wetness in my leaking father as best I could, but all too soon the hot blood went cold and he'd left me. Betrayed me and left me." She jerked he head quickly away from Robin, letting her hair fall like a concealing screen between them, but it couldn't hid the steady drips of tears pooling on the floor at her feet.

"They came that afternoon and burned the house while I hid with my father in the bushes by the clifs. Then there was no where else to go, no one else, but the siren mother I'd never known. He'd always said she was in the sea, and though he missed her, we couldn't see her because we had to live on land. When he didn't get up and stopped looking human, I sent him to her. She'd take care of him like I never could, and maybe if he'd never loved me, at least he loved her. They could be together, finally. When I tried to follow I found that, although I could sample some of the most exquisite varieties of human pain, I couldn't die. Maybe my mother's blood, but probably part of the deal. Yet I couldn't see the point of living alone and a freak, so I wrapped myself up in a torn sail from the shore, passed through town to the mainland (all the while hearing terrifying stories about the child monster on the hill who'd killed good Metiochus), and sought a way to end it.

"Eventually I found that my voice didn't have to harm. It could sooth, calm, move, and even persuade. I could connect to people in a whole new way, sense their thoughts and memories, albeit one at a time, and found that the people of my town were not the exception. I learned to change what I sensed, keeping my epic quest for death a forgotten secret. Once anyone found out what I was I was either chased out or 'killed'. I found it better to just take the blow and wait for them to stash my body somewhere then run, though from time to time humans tried to make trophies of my limbs. Then I had to 'convince' someone to come to my defense (I never hurt any one again by actually screaming). Turns out I was an artist afterall. Not skill with clay but singing quite literally kept me alive as long as I kept myself well concealed. Isn't that the definition of an artist? One who creates beauty and lives by that creation?" It was a rhetorical question and Robin didn't interrupt her to answer. "At some point I ceased to age, so I stopped counting the years and villages. As I moved north legends of a People of the Sea began to arise, a people who had possessed great magic and power, but whose arrogance had destroyed their land. Though they themselves had long since faded into the rest of humanity some of their magic remained, sealed in rings of stone. In the North West I found one such ring, rather like what you know now as Stonehenge, and in it, the Half Heart."

Her voice died away into silence, like to conclusion of one of the Greek epic poems. The room echoed back her final words eerily and vibrant, like her speech had been a great choral work and the final resonance was still ringing before the applause set in. _'the Half Heart' 'the Half Heart'. _Robin stared at her for the long moment and she stared off into the distance to her left. The lighting hadn't changed, yet it was different. She hadn't changed, but she looked different. Softer, gentle contrast and blend of gold and blue, complementing each other. Endless regret and wonder, with hints of poetry and lyric. Zinara now looked, for all her off composition and avian body, very beautiful. A sad beauty, aching. Had this really been the romantic reality the two enemies felt, Robin would have just left and let her bask in her release. Maybe even succeed in her plans. But for Robin there was something greater than beauty, something more moving and motivating. Duty. Justice. He was a Teen Titan, their leader, and he had a duty to protect the city and the world. He had a responsibility to justice and a deep rooted instinct that no matter what happened to the individual, it was wrong to take it out on society as a whole. Zinara was very tragic, and she did move him to compassion, but there was still more that needed to be done.

"Look, I don't really know what to say," he started awkwardly, holding out a hand palm up in a gesture of apology. She didn't move, her gaze fixed on the distant past. "Nobody deserves what you've been through, and I could see how you might think that all humans are bad because of it, but you're wrong. Not all of humanity is cruel and un-accepting. You don't need to kill all humans to be part of society. Just look at the Titans!" With a heavy and exasperated sigh, Zinara broke the trance like mood. With a harsh jerk of the arm she wiped the remaining tears from her cheek with the back of her hand and turned to face him full on.

"Why are you being so melodramatic," she chided tiredly. "I already told you, I have no intention of destroying the world or killing anybody."

"Well, all the information I have indicates that that's exactly what you're going to do if I let you out. I'd be thrilled to find out that it's all wrong and that I'm just being neurotic! I would love for you to set me straight! But until then I have to act off the information I have. That means keeping you from doing whatever it is you're planning. Better safe than dead."

"Of course. Why trust the word of a half-breed when there's a lie from humans long dead to believe."

"Listen, the fact that it was probably humans who carved your story on the pots from that exhibit has nothing to do with it!"

"No you listen," she snapped intensely, pointing at him with one taloned finger as if to scold a misbehaving kid. "Even if that was what I wanted to do, I couldn't do it with the Half Heart. That rock posses one ability, one power which separates it from any other hunk of quartz. The power to divide. To take what was one and make two separate, complete, unique organisms."

"Splitting the world in half still seems like destruction to me."

"That's not what I want!" Her screams echoed loudly, the cries of a vexed child when no one could understand. She pulled her hands into fists, tightening them till the shook, then releasing them in resignation, dropping her shoulders and rolling her head back to stare at the ceiling longingly. "I hate humanity for what it's done to me, for what I've seen it do to others like me. For using the freaks and natural slip-ups for personal gain then casting them aside to die like insects. For telling us we're less, that we don't deserve what we have and we should be grateful for the scraps. For dismissing us as arrogant and stupid, not listening even when we have valid points. For refusing to let us just be what we are, different. For the abuse, the sadism, the genocide. If you were all just to keel over and die I would shed no tears." Her voice hardened suddenly, taking on a defiant edge which contrasted sharply for the nauseous scorn from before. She looked straight at him again, her gaze even more intense than her wrathful glares.

"But I won't be the one to do it. I have enough blood on my hands already, that of my father, and I want no more of it. I've hurt people and I never want to do it again. The only way for me to atone for their pain, deserved as it may have been, is to set things right."

"And so you're going to..." prompted . Zinara let out yet another exasperated hiss of breath.

"Don't you see we can't live together? Can't you see that as long as the freaks and humans coexist there will be nothing but pain and conflict? But if we were apart, then one would have no reason to harm the other. We could live just as we are, no more pretense, no more dissent. No more fear or shame. We could all finally be free. I want to split what we share between us. I want to take this earth and make it two: one for you, one for me. We can live peacefully, separately."

For a long moment they sat in silence as her words sank in, as all the pieces in the puzzle fell into place. Then the obvious slipped through Robin's lips... just to make sure. "That's why you were imprisoned. The Greek gods stopped you from trying this the first time and locked you away where you could never try again."

"Correct. They couldn't kill me because to do so would have broken the word of a god. I was not to die by a human's, god's, or even my own hand. So they split the Half Heart, sealing one in my chest and hiding the other in my mother's tomb (hence the name). I was set adrift until the Half Heart was made whole, a condition which should have kept me secure forever. But they didn't count on Garfield finding me or that archeological site being conveniently excavated and it's artifacts being put on display in the city I happened to be closest to." She smirked almost remorsefully, bitter, admiring her talons smugly. "Strange, isn't it? Like fate itself is helping me to succeed." Robin made a sort of sarcastic little grin, tilting his head away from her. The way she described it he couldn't find anything inherently dangerous about her plan, but his gut and his logic were both sending out warning signals. His hazard sense was tingling. No matter how innocent it seemed, he couldn't let Zinara complete her mission. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

"Fate's gonna have to hold off on the cake and ice cream," he said sternly. "Because I'm still here and I'm still not going to let you go through with this."

"Why not? You know I'm right." Genuine disbelief, confusion. Like she couldn't understand how he didn't agree with her.

"I know that both humanity and those you call 'freaks' both have a lot to answer for." Stern, defiant, the harsh glare of truth. "I know there are things wrong with society and the way things are. But I also know that you can't force change. People have to make their own decisions and humans will and are choosing to live and work with those that aren't like them. Ignoring the problem by segregation isn't a solution."

"Prove it," she said softly, dangerously. The pent up bitterness and anger were simmering in her voice, beautiful and terrible. Like the spider's web. "Prove to me that there is still goodness in your kind. Prove that you're capable of compassion for the outcasts. That you can accept them into your little society and understand that they too have something to offer, even if it's not what you expect or think you need. Prove that they'll be loved in your world and I'll leave it alone." With bird like cock of her head and a grim twist of the mouth she paused, as if recalling a phrase she'd repeated over and over again when there had been no hope. A phrase that had given her mistaken existence meaning. "When you can't, I'll be here. I'll end all our suffering. I don't care what you call it or what any of you think; I am taking the only just road there is. And in the end, regardless of what happens to me, I'll make things right."

"Don't you see what you're doing!" Robin's firm control and composure, for the second time that night, snapped. His voice cracked (not audibly, mind you) with the emotion of his plea. She looked at him coldly, analytically. "You've generalized the entire species! You've just decided to play god with their lives because you think you know better, but you don't. You think you are superior, without fault or sin, but look at you!" He pointed at her accusingly, the strict morality he'd been raised with, the black-and-white reality he lived in ringing in his words, rivaling Zinara's in their impact. "You've let hatred and malice run your life for so long you've forgotten what it's like to care! What of those people who are coexisting? Will you just tear them apart and let them hemorrhage? What about those who only find belonging among the other? You think you can just decide for them? You think you can just run everyone's lives? I got news for you; that's not by any means an original idea. You wanna know what we call the people who think like you?" Silence. She was so taken aback by the volume and intensity of Robin's voice Zinara couldn't even conjure a clever reply. He moved in closer. She backed away, shaken. He continued the advance, till her back hit the wall and she couldn't run from the truth anymore. He leaned in and whispered "Dictators." She winced and recoiled. "And they've all killed millions by trying to lead their people to utopia."

"You're wrong!" Zinara grabbed his shoulders and shoved as hard as she could, which wasn't that hard as she had barely enough muscle mass to keep herself standing, but Robin stepped back nonetheless. She might try to claw out his eyes next and that wouldn't be such a pathetic attempt. Her breath was coming in short, trembling, shallow puffs, like a hyperventilating sparrow, her eyes wide and wild, pupils dilated to almost spherical proportions, a small ring of white rimming the brilliant gold.

"People, humans and not included, try to destroy what isn't like them. Sometimes they turn on each other, but equally as often they attack themselves. Your solution will do nothing but shatter an already broken world. People are sill going to hurt other people."

"You're wrong," she repeated quietly, not convinced of her own words. There was still unyielding conviction, but it was wavering, unsure. Doubt. "You're wrong, when people live with other people like them they have no reason to hurt anyone. When the people are separated they have no reason to attack the other side. There's no threat from what's different, no fear, no reason for all this violence! I just want to help. I just want to make it all right to be different."

"How can you be so naive," asked Robin in earnest. "Don't you see what you've done? Don't you realize what you're planning to do?"

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Look at Beast Boy!"

"Garfield understands! He wants to help me! He wants to be with me!"

"You haven't given any choice! You split him up into so many pieces he doesn't even remember who he is!"

"I made it easier for him to protect himself! I've kept him innocent! And I'm going to make sure he's safe! I'm making a world for the both of us, where we won't need secrets!"

"So he's all right with all of this?"

"Yes!"

"Did you ask him?" Pause like broken glass.

"What do you mean? He's been helping me, remember."

"I'm not talking about that thing you pulled out of him. I'm not talking about your 'Garfield' who attacked his own friends and is sitting in our interrogation room. I'm talking about Beast Boy, the kid who heard your song and went out to find it. Did he have a choice? Can a man ignore the call of a siren if he decides that he just doesn't feel like drowning that day? Did he say 'Oh, you know Zinara, I'm down with the whole end of the world thing but could you please split my personality and turn me into a monster?' -"

"He's not a monster!"

"The thing that attacked me had no boundaries, not reservations, no loyalty to any one but you. He hurt us because it was fun for him, said the most horrible things because he knew they weren't true. Because he enjoyed inflicting pain on humans and 'freaks' alike. That thing is only out for itself, and it will do whatever it feels like to accomplish that goal, necessary or not. You've created the very thing you think you'll purge by splitting the world. You've taken what was good and kind, flawed yes, but honorable and courageous and released the absolute worst in him. You've turned him into a monster."

There was only an instant for the full impact of his words to hit. A tremor shot through the Tower like a bolt of lightning, causing the whole building to shutter. Robin stumbled slightly, setting his weight to maintain balance; Zinara, well, didn't. Her frail body crumpled to its knees, face blank, eyes wide in horrid realization. She looked paler than usual, afraid for the first time. It was the look of someone who'd found themselves in a nightmare where the evil had their face. Doubt, once only a hint in the quiver of her voice, now all consuming. She didn't understand- couldn't. If she admitted that the monster she truly dreaded, the one she fought so hard to extinguish, lived inside her, it would tear her apart. Robin felt... sorry for her. Not pity, not even compassion really, just sorry.

Another tremor rocked the building. Steel groaned and concrete crumbled, until it seemed as if the building itself would split in two. Zinara gasped suddenly, a sharp cry as if a broken bone had been reset, doubling over and clutching her chest. The bright light she'd emerged from back in the museum began to push through her fingertips, its golden glow almost suffocating. Robin stepped back heavily, trying to get away before whatever was trying to happen happened, but he found that anything past that movement was impossible. The pressure in the room was increasing by the moment, weighing down on his body, forcing him onto one knee. Then the song started, a quiet buzz at first, then louder and louder, a haunting melody of infinite intricacy and harmony, racked with dissonance like glass marbles rubbing together and still ringing in perfectly tuned chords. It grew stronger, more beautiful, and with it the room seemed to grow. Zinara was being pulled away from him, the edges of his vision curving around her as she got smaller and smaller. The room twisted and moaned, bending to her will, the glow of the Half Heart coating every hard surface, distorting them like liquid in the wind. The song built, getting very quiet, intense, then slowly, gradually, getting louder, until his very heart beat with the rhythm and his breath came in shallowly with anticipation. Then the voice began to smooth and somehow by slimming down to fewer notes became more powerful, until there was only a one quavering voice, high and thin.

And then it all stopped. The glow was gone, the room was returned to perspective, and Robin found gravity had released its paralytic hold. There was just a tiny little difference, so small Robin almost missed it as he stood up. A film like a sheet of mist had extended itself between him and Zinara. It blurred the edges of everything on the other side, making Zinara look like a hazy reflection as she stood up, eyes closed, hand still over her pounding heart. Her eyes flickered opened and for the briefest moment she almost looked sorry before her gaze hardened. Defiant, bitter, proud, and above all else, determined.

"You're wrong, Robin. You're wrong," she said softly, coldly. "I know that people have suffered, that they will suffer, and I take that willingly on my soul to accept whatever punishment it may incur. But what I'm doing is important. It must be done and then everything will be right." Her conviction was audible, her faith so strong he almost thought about agreeing with her. "My life will be the price of devision. When I'm gone I can only hope that you'll come to understand and handle things on this side. Take care of the human's won't you? I know your half-breed and Garfield have the others." The mist was condensing, her words and form becoming harder and harder to sense. Robin reached out to try and push bast the barrier, to restrain the siren-human hybrid, but he found the wall was hard. He struck it, but his blow just bounced off the surface, accomplishing nothing but a throbbing fist. She grinned, amused by his efforts. "I'm sorry you make sense of it now, but you will. In time everyone will."

"Just answer me this Zinara," he yelled after her as she began to fade. " Do you honestly believe what you're saying? If you're magic can do what it's done to Beast Boy, what do you think will happen when you use it on the world? Is it worth the risk? Will you create utopia, or tear apart the one thing we all have in common?" There was no answer, but Robin knew she'd heard. There was a final glimmer of hesitation in her eyes before the wall solidified and she was gone, leaving Robin with perhaps his biggest problem since the last time the world had ended... and a lot of explaining to do.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: First off, I'd like it know that I have been watching and paying attention and would therefore like to thank all you dudes who bother reading this at all and continue reading chapter after chapter with six month intermissions of pain and torment. Thank you for sticking it out with me, enduring the waits, giving feedback, theorizing, and just reading the darn thing at all! Special thanks to lizzpercush for giving me my much deserved kick in the butt. Now, onto why this took so long to write. I've got a good one this time: every time I sat down to write/ read over I'd get maybe 1/2 an hour into it before someone decided they needed to talk to me or ask me to do something or plan out my future or discuss what one aught to bring to a dorm or something of the like. And my mother's been sick and needing me to do stuff for her/ drive her places and if there's one thing that just kills your will to live or do something you enjoy it's having a sick family member. Anyway, most of this was written in hour chunks (usually I get on a roll and go for at least three per section when I write, but there you go) so some parts, I feel, transition a little abruptly, but today the house is empty except for sleeping mother and I have had time to smooth it out a bit. Have fun and I'm immediately starting work on chapter 18. I'm thinkin' 20's a good number. **

**Additional Note: There have been many of you who have rightly commented on my spelling/ grammar/ word usage and kindly offered to be my beta reader. I'd like you dudes to know that I'm not just ignoring you because I'm lazy or something; I'm dyslexic and dysgraphic . Pretty much means I get words and letters mixed up (can't always tell the difference between right and left either). So when you point my mistakes out, sometimes I understand and other times I don't see the difference. With the spell check list sometimes I pick out what I meant and sometimes I don't. I appreciate the offers to help my by being my beta, but I am trying to get it right and if you just fix it for me I'll never learn. If you could point out my error in context and then show me what is correct, that would be very helpful. Thank you all!**

**Disclaimer: Granted, I need the profit, but I'm not makin' any. Stuff belongs to the people it belongs to, I only claim ownership of that which is mine. Don't sue me, I have no money. Seriously, my little debit card had insufficient funds for gas yesterday. No joke.

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When you fight with someone, offer up your own life and safety to defend them, and receive the same in return, a bond is formed. You may not always get along or even like that person, but when push comes to shove there's a mutual appreciation. You'll do what it takes to protect them, choose their well-being over your own, because one is of little use without the other. It's an understanding, a trust, and a dependance. When you feel that way about someone, you presume to know them. Even more so when you live with them. Day to day life is like an ongoing behavioral experiment, constant tests and unknowing observation. One might even say unwilling. Years of compiled data and examples which define an individual. Phrases they let slip, veiled references to horrors long past, hints at a truth that may or may not even exist. Long hours of talking and even longer hours of watching, listening, sensing, and soon you enter what is considered to be an intimate relationship.

And in the intimacy you find the lie that you can judge who this person is, that you can dare claim to know them. But in the end this proves false. The physical intimacy of offering one's life for another, of living in close corridors, of sharing not-so-deep secrets and truths in the quiet prove to be only surface knowledge. Who that someone is is written in bitter tears cried alone in the night, whispers that escape into dark solitude, desperate monologues shouted to the shadows and forbidden thoughts or memories muted in the black. In the end there comes a moment when you realize that through all the time and closeness and willing sacrifice that someone has only entrusted the darkness with their true self. And that time only comes when the darkness decides to betray them. Everyone has secrets.

Raven stood quietly as it happened. She took in the ice-cold cuts of fact, letting them slice away everything she thought she knew, leaving nothing but raw, uncomforted humiliation at her own arrogance. All this time... All those years and battles and intrusions. The hesitant way he threw himself into everything, the envy in his eyes as they passed through the park, his stubborn refusal to grow up. She was supposed to be his friend- more than his friend, his self-designated guardian as he was hers. She was supposed to be an empath, supposed to know things about people they didn't know about themselves. She was supposed to be smart, to analyze people and discover their secrets. Yet never once had she bothered to wonder why the green boy right in front of her got caught up in the crime fighting business at such a young age, where his parents- his real parents, were. Why sometimes he had less of a concern for his own life than for that of the thief, why he was always incessantly advocating for the petty criminals or misled youngsters with such a passion you'd think they were all his younger brothers. It never seemed important.

Robin was motivated by an almost vengeance like, all-consuming, need to fight crime. Starfire by a deeply ingrained an innate sense of justice and Cyborg by duty to his fellow man. Raven herself fought crime and evil out of sheer guilt for the atrocity she was destined to commit. These things she had come to know as time passed, like flecks of gold washed up on the banks of her consciousness. There was never any work or effort involved in acquiring them or distorted reflections of truth, they'd just come to her. A few weeks into their relationship she'd made the general assumption that he, like the rest of them, had suffered some kind of loss at the hands of unfairness and never thought past that. Beast Boy fought because that's what he did, because he didn't know much about doing anything else, or so she had thought. Now as Garfield painted the gruesomely unexpected tale of the changeling's origins, the pieces of her observations fell together in a new way. Where once the data indicated resignation now it showed a mutilation of guilt induced duty, terror and compassion and self-revulsion lurking in determination's shadow. Pain so well concealed it might as well not even be there but for the way Garfield gritted his teeth and chewed the words as they came out.

It seemed to Raven that she was listening for hours to the deepest, innermost secrets of Beast Boy's being, though the whole tale couldn't have taken more than fifteen minutes. Garfield spoke slowly and emotionlessly, as if reciting dry lines from a Shakespeare work he didn't understand. Fake. Unenthusiastic. That didn't matter, didn't change anything. The words spoke for themselves... and the eyes. Despite herself, Raven was trapped by the web of feeling in his gaze, caught by eyes as restrained and tormented as her own. For though the voice was Garfield's mocking, sadistic tone, the eyes were Beast Boy's. Soft eyes, guilty eyes. Humiliated, invaded, angry, helpless as a conscious puppet watching itself dance to others pleasure. Yet conflicted, pleading for her to understand, to have compassion. Above all else to listen to his secrets, to go through the doors she wasn't supposed to see, to know what hidden truths had been gnawing at his soul for so long. To share in the darkness. Begging for her to understand him as he understood her. And understand she did.

A façade more perfect than her own; so perfect that even as Garfield explained how Beast Boy had watched his parents die and set up his thief captors, realizing later he'd had the ability to save them or that such games could only have one possible outcome, Raven still couldn't believe she'd been wrong. That the care-free, ever-hopefull, annoyingly-funny man who knew when and when not to pull out the big guns was nothing but a coverup for what he perceived to be a morally ambiguous past. That somehow not knowing how to control your abilities when you're a kid makes you responsible for your parents death or that being betrayed, kidnapped, and offered the choice to obey or be abandoned makes you a willing criminal. That people thinking you're a monster makes you one. Beast Boy did- at least, a part of him did. The secret part, past the doors of his mind no one was supposed to know about. The part he'd only ever shared with shadows and dreams. And Raven understood what hold Zinara and this 'Other' had over him. They'd shared his pain and told him what every guilty person wants to hear: "It wasn't your fault." Then they'd pinned the blame on the world, offered him a chance to help make it right, help ensure that no one else would ever know his suffering. Who wouldn't, in the name of selflessness and charity, jump at that chance? Whispers and song twisting bleeding thorns into soft, crimson petals and beaconing him to rest there. There was just one problem.

"Dose that clear things up for you, Rae," Garfield finished bitterly, glaring over his shoulder where Raven's cold palm still rested. "Do you get it now? Everyone he's ever met has found some way to hurt him, intentional or not, some way to bind him. This is the only way." Raven let her hand fall back to her side, her fingers slipping lifelessly from his shirt, her expression blank and unreadable. She didn't say anything, which prompted Garfield to continue his encouragement. "In that black heart of yours you know it's true. He may love you, but he's never trusted you. Zinara's giving him what you couldn't, what you didn't even know was necessary: redemption, retribution, importance. She saw what was in front of you the whole time, and you're so humiliated that all you can do is block their way. And in your vanity all you've ever done is prove me right. So maybe you should try to minimize your own contribution and leave him alone!"

All the lies and misconceptions. All the ideas we allow ourselves to believe. All the opportunities for blunt, painful, mortifying honest that just elude the comfortable mind. Agendas, beliefs we're all looking to prove, stubborn pride in our own deductive abilities. There's only ever one truth. The evidence is out there, everywhere, everything. Each event and feeling can be used as justification for something else. Zinara had gathered hers and arranged it into what seemed to be a rational argument, but she'd left out bits and altered others. Dropped translucent curtains over all other paths. Then she believed in it, believed in herself and her way so passionately, so forcefully, that she'd given her twisted mutilation of truth the face of reality. And Beast Boy in that damn naiveté of his believed her too.

Raven didn't know what was right and what was wrong. Whether it was she who was good or bad or the world. How it was that you could look into the face of a child born into Hell on Earth and see more joy and faith than in that of the 'happiest man alive'. Now that she looked back there'd always been something, a hidden ache in his gut, an acid edge to his comments on family. Did she recognize it before? Or was she just feeling guilty for being so arrogant as to assume she had a handle on the individual known as Garfield Mark Logan. Does learning someone's past change who they are or how you feel about them? Should it? Based off this new information Beast Boy did have reason to seek isolation, but he never had. He had grounds to despise superstition and wrong doers, yet he protected them. Justification for vengeance he'd not once pursued or even mentioned until now. So which was the real him? The goofy hero or the resentful villain?

"Beast Boy," she whispered quietly, staring down at the floor. She'd thought the name would feel inappropriate now, after all this, yet it tasted more real than anything she'd heard that night. He was, after all, a shapeshifter. He could be anything, any organic, living, entity he chose, exist wherever he wanted. Goodness knows animals seem more accepting of their kin than humans. Still, he'd chosen to be a man, a super hero, a member of a team. He'd chosen to always be by her side, to take care of her when she wasn't easy to take care of, to learn things about her she herself never knew. That she could laugh, could cry, could believe in stupid things like luck and male determination, confront her own emotions and find them less intimidating than she'd thought. Even if that was all a lie, there comes a time when the lie becomes true. And in an instant she realized that none of it mattered because truth or lie, real or not, good or bad, she wanted to be with him again. No barrier could stand against that kind of emotion; nothing could stop her. Nothing would stop her, not even Beast Boy himself.

"You idiot!" With a fiery glint in her eye and a fury to rival any level of Hell, Raven looked straight into Beast Boy's eyes and struck him full across the face. Garfield took the hit quite well considering he'd had no idea it was coming and had been too busy mocking her to block in any capacity, stumbling back and cradling his cheek, a look of utter bewilderment in his smug face.

"You of all people should appreciate the logic of it all," he yelped indignantly. "When you have a problem, you find the root and eliminate it. People cause all his problems, so remove the people. Simple, effective."

"I'm not talking to you," she bit, furious. "Beast Boy, I know you're there, and I know you can hear me. And YOU ARE AN IDIOT! Letting yourself be so easily controlled... it's pathetic. You should have more respect for your self and your accomplishments!" Raven wasn't quite sure if she'd ever felt so much righteous fury in her entire life, noting in the back of her mind (the very back) that Starfire would have been proud. "Nature happens and sometimes people do terrible things for terrible reasons, but that has nothing to do with humans as a species. It's the individual's choice and the individual's fate, just because you happened to be there doesn't make you responsible. So quit being so selfish; there are those of us who need you!"

Beast Boy's eyes widened, his face taking back it's soft, well humored tone, though at the moment it held the look of one who'd just seen a purple elephant go by. This was Raven, the quirky, dark, creepy, powerful, can-be-hard-to-get-along-with, girl of his dreams. This was the woman who seemed to make it her personal goal in life to 'put him down'; you know, the one who threw him across the room? The woman who on more than one occasion made him feel like the tiniest speck in the cosmos while still retaining the ability to promote him to center of the universe and luckiest man alive with nothing more than a small grin. Raven. Raven needed him. Raven _admitted_ to needing him.

Zinara had not too long ago told him the exact same thing, for the first time in his life, he'd thought. But, and this was a more profound realization than it sounds, it was different when Raven said it. He'd just met Zinara, and she had a goal, a mission, and she'd sought him out to help her with that. To be her right hand man, to be important, to love her and justify her. She needed an assistant, a partner, a relationship, affection she'd long missed and contact she was dying to have. She needed someone, not specifically Beast Boy. Granted, he'd fallen into the part, but her someone could have just as easily been some sailor, or fisherman, or Aqualad for all he knew. True, Zinara had been inside his mind, with unrestricted access and the ability to manipulate, and she knew things he'd never told any one before, and found misery does indeed love company, but she didn't know him. Not really. She'd decided who he was and how she felt about him ten minutes into their twisted excuse of a relationship and stuck to her guns with all the passion of a wild fire. For all intents and purposes changed him into the man she thought he was. She'd made him her doll, very valuable and important and personally significant, but a doll nonetheless. Even so, Beast Boy was replaceable to the half-siren.

Raven, though... They hadn't really gotten off on the right foot. Actually, the first year of their affiliation she hated him. Over time they found themselves to be friends, then he'd felt more. And more. And one day he found he was in love with her. Sure, she insulted his intellect at least once a day (sometimes it _was_ justified), and they argued, and they ground each other's nerves into the ground, and some people would say he didn't stand a chance in the battle for he affections. Despite all of that, he needed her. When he was feeling so pent up he was about to explode, Raven was there. When there was no one to talk to or be with, there was Raven. She understood what it was like to be afraid of one's self and she never asked why because that wasn't what mattered to her. What mattered to Raven was Beast Boy, Garfield Mark Logan, the green changeling she'd lived and fought with and protected and been protected by. What she'd done for him and he'd done for her. And she _needed __**him**_.

For a moment, Beast Boy's face broke into his wide, lopsided, honestly happy grin. Raven scowled at him like she wanted to hit him again until she'd beaten in her point, which just made him snort in pure, unadulterated, joy at how much she cared. It was in a weird, creepy, painful, Raven way, but she cared. About him. He started to reach towards her, as if trying to make sure it was all real, but before his elbow could get past his side a sharp grimace tore at his face. With a pained gasp he doubled over, heaving, clutching his abdomen with one hand and head with the other.

"Don't fight me, Gar," he muttered to himself, hand sliding down the bridge of his nose to cover his eyes. Raven's eyes narrowed, schemeing. "This is what's best for you. Trust us. Just go back to sleep... It will all be over when you wake up." If you wake up. "Stop resisting. Let go."

"Beast Boy," Raven snapped, moving in quickly. She could pull him out, end it all now. He'd asked her to save him from what he was planning to do, now was her chance. If she acted fast enough. With one, fluid movement, she brushed his arm out of the way and pulled his face to hers, looking deeply into his eyes. Beast Boy's eyes. "Beast Boy, listen to me. They're manipulating you, you know that. Stop letting them!"

"You stay out of this," Garfield growled, but he seemed to lack the bodily control to pull away.

"Beast Boy, it's me; talk to me. You're stronger than you think. You know what you need to do, what you should do."

"You're just trying to use him like everyone else! If he listens to you all he'll ever know is torment. If you really cared you'd let Zinara and I complete our task. You'd help us build a new world, one where he can be happy!" His eyes faltered, dropping slowly to the ground, persuaded by his other side. She gave his head a none to gentle shake, her voice firm, gravely.

"You came to me when this all began and told me it was like you didn't have a choice. But you do, Garfield, you have a choice. You asked for my help because you didn't know which one was right, because you trusted me with the darkest corners of your mind and soul. Trust me now, let me help you. Come back to me, Garfield, please." A hint of the bubbling attachment she'd been becoming more and more aware of since the possibility of loosing Beast Boy had become a reality, the possession she couldn't fathom but felt nonetheless, slipped into her voice. This feeling she couldn't define, the one which gave her more strength and focus than all the meditation in the world, became audible for an instant. Beast Boy looked up at her sharply, suspiciously, and for the first time in her life Raven had no idea what he saw in her eyes.

Slowly, cautiously, as if moved by sheer, emotional instinct, Raven drew herself in closer, cupping his chin gently with her thin, cool hands, her eyes moving to his tightly set lips. She didn't know what she was doing or why or how, but she didn't fight it. She let the emotions, the moment, the intuition that whatever this was was the right thing to do pick her up and sweep her to a place she'd never been to before, a place she found oddly comfortable. This was how she could save him, make him remember the goodness in the world as it was, she knew it. No proof, no evidence, no reason or logic. Just sheer, unadulterated, knowledge. Here, between them, there was truth. His arms tentatively found their way around her waist as hers slipped to the back of his head. She pulled herself onto her toes so she was parallel with his face. He leaned down slightly. Her eyes closed, chin tilting to the side. Their noses brushed. She could taste his breath.

A sharp jolt shot through the Tower like a nervous twitch, taking the ground out form Raven's unbalanced feet. Beast Boy took her weight, holding her close and looking around like a startled predator. The sound of metal groaning and twisting filled the air and the room gave another, violent lurch, as if the building itself was dry heaving, trying to force something from its insides. Pressure was building steeply, pushing down on the two of them and the wild fantasy that their island was being swallowed by the sea flashed through Raven's mind. In the distance there was a sharp, high cry and Beast Boy gasped in agony, clutching Raven tighter, pulling her into his chest until she could feel the trembling tension in her own gut. Something was trying to get out, but couldn't. Slowly, he fell to his knees, pulling her with him in a rather awkward manner. Then, with a grunt that sounded a great deal like 'Raven', he tucked her head under his chin and spun her around, neatly sandwiching her balled form between the wall and his own body.

The song began in his chest like a small muse was situated next to his heart, buzzing, then humming, then vibrating in the air all around them in infinite beauty and feeling. Gold coated her vision and as she peered past his neck Raven saw the world around her contorting, sucked away as teeth tear flesh from the bone. Curving and twisting, being pulled apart by the light and the song of ten thousand voices all clashing and fighting and coming together like the ocean, and within the chaos a beauty beyond anything Raven had ever thought possible. So, this is what it felt like. Like her very existance depended on the song, like when it ended she would just die of loss. Like the source was the most important thing in the world. The world rippled around her and her skin came alive like cold breath. The many voices became one once again, the sensation in your throat as you fight the urge to cry for the sheer beauty of it. Then ringing silence as the memory of the voice continued to sing and the world became solid once more. Then it was over, the world empty and dull in its absence. Then... nothing.

Raven blinked, worming her way loose of Beast Boy's grip just slightly to pear out from her protective alcove. Right were the line between her body and the changelings had been there was a thin, milky barrier which hazed everything on the other side. The control room, the door... her room no doubt. Trapped on the other side. As she shifter Beast Boy's head collapsed onto her shoulder, pulling her attention back to the green boy in her arms. He was breathing hard, eyes closed, weak arms still defiantly fastened around her shoulder blades. Whatever had just happened, it had taken a lot out of him, used him for its own purposes. The emotional drive from not half-a-minute before had abandoned her and, in spite of the comfort of her body and celebration party a large group of her emotions seemed to be attending in Nevermore, Raven felt rather awkward in this position. With Beast Boy, no less. She wasn't really the nurturing type... At all. Rolling her eyes at the irony of the situation, she gave him a gentle pat on the back of the head. For Raven, it was a very affectionate gesture. He didn't move.

"Beast Boy," she said uncertainly, scrunching her chin into her chest to look at him. "Beast Boy?" No response. She attempted to shift out of his grasp so she could give him a proper checking over, but his fingers curled into her cloak in a weak, but affective attempt to hold her in place. She drew her lips together and sighed through her nose. This wasn't the first time she'd been here, nor would it be the last (it seemed if Beast Boy was going to collapse onto someone, it was always Raven who received the honor), but given the circumstances it seemed rather insensitive to do what she normally did and dump him on the ground or somebody else. "Um, Beast Boy," she tried again. Nope. "Garfield?"

"Mmmmmm, give me a minute," he grumbled into her neck, nestling in closer. A grin twitched at her lips. Had this been a week ago he would have been so dead, or at least, severely bruised. Funny how much can change in a week. Funny how much can change in a minute. She found her hand stroking his head, fingers gliding smoothly through surprisingly silkie green hair, and she scowled at it disapprovingly.

"It's been a pretty long day," Raven said absently, staring at the solidified, grey wall between them and the rest of the Tower.

"The longest. Day. Ever." Comfortable quiet. Raven's hand came to a rest on the back of Beast Boy's neck.

"It's not over yet."

"Mhh."

"Beast Boy, are you back?"

"Mm hm."

"Tell me what happened?"

"Mmp mm."

"Beast Boy, what just happened."

"You smell nice." Raven grabbed his shoulders firmly and pushed him up, giving him a stern look in the face. His emerald eyes were only slightly open and groggy, pupils dilated with fatigue. "Whaaaaaat," he whined, not really looking at her.

"Garfield Mark Logan, I know you're tired, but we still have work to do."

"Work, what work? Rae, what are you talkin' about?" Raven very much wanted to rub her brow, but felt that if she let go for so much as half a second he'd just fall back over and go back to sleep. So instead she settled for an exasperated sigh.

"Do you know where you are?"

"In a room..."

"Nice job, Einstein. Which room?" He screwed up his face as if thinking really hard, head lolling forward. Raven gave him a shake. "Do you remember what's happening?"

"Raven I'm tired! What's this all about? Can't you just let me sleep for five minutes?"

"Beast Boy, you just woke up. We don't have time to sleep. Or have you forgotten?" It was meant as a rebuke, but the vacant expression in his eyes made Raven wonder. For a moment his face screwed up in exaggerated concentration, like he was trying to remember things he didn't really care about for her sake.

_ Not really remembering. It's more like... thinking about a dream._

"Can't you remember Zinara? The Half Heart? Any of what's been happening this past week?" Raven probed gently. She knew it was cold-blooded, maybe even cruel, to request such information, to drop it back over his head like a slab of cement. She knew even if he tried some of the memories weren't his to remember, or were so twisted and contorted they could hardly have come from anything _he'd_ done. She knew it was kinder, softer, easier on him to just let him nap on her shoulder for a minute. Didn't he deserve that much? Just five minutes of bliss? But she also knew there was no time for kindness. There was hardly time for memory or thought. All too soon they'd be out of time and it wouldn't matter how he felt about her or she him or whether or not they were happy or mutilated because they'd both be dead. Beast Boy had chosen the life of a super hero, this pain, this responsibility she was thrusting onto him when he was at his weakest was one of the attached strings. Don't so much as J-walk, don't get involved with the media if at all possible, and when you're at your absolute worst fight your hardest. There was no other choice.

His face lost the exaggerated, playful thinking lines, his mouth relaxing and his eyes sliding out of focus. For a moment they were wide and innocent, staring into a world past what Raven could sense, seeing things beyond what Raven could see. Watching it all happen again. Lips tightened, nostrils flared, back stiffened, neck taking the weight of his head like a penance. Eyes swirled with pain, guilt, confusion like drips of blood into still, clear water, twisting and coiling until they'd completely reddened the orbs. He knew, he remembered. All of it. The innocence, the child-like glint she'd come to expect and love, the passion for life, deadened. He knew everything, and it was killing him inside.

"Yeah," he said, voice rasping in his throat. "Yeah, I remember. Most of it any way." She gave him an achy grin, rather forced, but probably the most supportive thing she could have done for him. He wasn't watching. His green eyes were fixed intently on the wall right above her head, expression desolate. "Damn," he muttered.

"Beast Boy-"

"I know, I know," he said, brushing her off. "We've got work to do." They sat for a moment in uncomfortable silence, both knowing full-well just how quickly the clock was ticking but neither willing to bring up what had to be discussed. Finally, with a sigh and shadowed grin, Beast Boy looked straight at her and said "Why does it take the end of the world to get you in my arms?" Raven blinked and, upon realizing that they'd just been sitting there for the past however long holding each other for lack of a better term like a couple of love struck adolescents, blushed deeply and whacked him over the head. He laughed earnestly and she stood up, sidestepped him, and walked over to the Tower's newest 'enhancement', pointing with her eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Explain." He gave a long, tired sigh, pushing himself to his feet and leaning against the wall. It was Beast Boy, but the characteristic glint in his eyes had dimmed and every move or expression seemed strained and forced. Like his body was made of steel and just being there with her was an effort. It was getting harder and harder for him to come back. What would she do when he couldn't- or wouldn't, anymore? They were all running out of time.

"What makes you think I know any more about it than you?" Evasive. Still on _her_ side. Raven's fury flared, but she kept it in check. Remember your mission, remember your reasons.

"Beast Boy, lets not do this again," she breathed both sternly and pleadingly. "We both know better. Now, what is this?"

"A wall."

"Don't make me hurt you."

"Too late." Stunned pause, like she'd been deservingly slapped. Beat.

"Beast Boy."

"What do you want me to say?" His voice cracked, abandoning their thin attempts at normalcy and he threw his arms open as if to invite a blow to the chest. She stared at him emotionlessly, unyielding, and he dropped his hands to his sides noisily, scoffing. "Raven, I didn't choose this! I didn't choose any of this! I was a kid with no greater aspiration than to be the next Tarzan. I didn't want to steal, but I'm good at it. I never wanted to take on the responsibility of this super hero crap, but I have to make up for what I've done!"

"What does this have to do with-"

"Don't play dumb! I know he told you... I know he told you everything." She couldn't think of anything to say to that. He had his reasons for keeping his past secret and she'd just ignored them for personal gain. She'd taken advantage of him and they both knew it. Of course he was angry.

"Can we discuss this later," she offered quietly, trying desperately to keep the edge out of her voice and not dig this hole any deeper than it already was. Unfortunately, the ground seemed to be falling out from beneath her. If Zinara couldn't take him he was going to leave. Her emotions too long treated with leniency pushing against bonds. Hard to control.

"No, we can't discuss this later because Zinara's gonna finish what she started later and we'll never see each other again!" Snapped.

"Wrong. If Zinara succeeds we'll both be dead later! Along with the rest of the world!" That shut him up. Beast Boy looked away, ashamed and cornered. She pressed froward, trying to justify her double standard and work, jabbing her finger at the new wall. "Now what is this."

"Raven," he tried weakly, unable to look at her. "I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?"

"I understand that you won't." He swallowed dryly, letting his eyes close for an instant, preparing himself for something that looked to be very painful.

"I promised Zinara I'd help her."

"You promised this Team you'd help us."

"Don't you think I know that," he snapped. He gave her a very frustrated, exhausted, ready to explode look and dropped his face into his hands, rubbing his brow. "I never wanted to be a traitor Rae, but you're all making me one. I can't help one person without betraying another, can't act on one instinct or advice without violating the other. Everything I do or say or think makes me a traitor to someone or something I care about and if I do nothing... I'm in too deep to do nothing. It'd only make me more of a mole than I already am."

"Beast Boy, you're not the one doing all this. You didn't start it, that Other did, the one Zinara pulled out-"

"He is me!" He lurched towards her, closing the distance fast, as if to startle her into understanding. "I may not always be the personality in control but everything he does, everything he says, everyone he hurts, I let him do it. His actions are my actions and I'm responsible for them. So don't tell me it isn't my fault because it is!"

Raven was... impressed. Quite frankly astounded. Not so much at the revelation that Beast Boy was indeed an honorable man, but that it wasn't a revelation at all. Had the circumstances been different, she might even have given into the impulse to throw herself at him and knot her finger in his hair, maybe. Currently Beast Boy was holding his brow and grimacing and the world was in danger of imminent destruction and she was trying to verbally beat the key to saving them both out of him. Not the best time. As things were, all she could do was stand there and try to find something to say that could be of some use. He wavered like he was about to fall over and she reached out an instinctive hand to steady him, but he knocked it away fiercely, giving her an icy glare. Beast Boy baring his fangs, but still Beast Boy. Not an animal, not the other.

"You're right," she whispered, the words sour in her mouth. Utter confusion came into his eyes even as he tried to hold onto his anger. She met them cooly, even, dare she think it, compassionately. "You're right, you are responsible. You made a choice, good or bad, and this is living with it." He looked like he was going to be sick, her honesty slicing over a nerve cluster close to his heart. Teeth ground, breath tore, his fire burning against her snowy skin. Raven's face remained passive, controlled, but her hand reached out to him again, expecting to be bitten yet finding its passage cautiously unhindered. He flinched, but she persisted. Her fingers traced his jaw line and held his chin, held his gaze. "That doesn't make you a monster."

"Doesn't it? Isn't that the definition of a monster? Something that's done bad things? That will do bad things?" Sounded more like something she'd sooner say than him. Raven closed her eyes and shook her head in a frustratedly bemused manner.

"How is it your little optimistic, Disney version of the world applies to every creature which deserves the term 'monster', yet when it comes to you every thing's just black and white. If there's anyone in this room that deserves to be called evil it's me, but oh no, you'd never have any of that! Never admit that more often than not I'm more demon than human, never stopped trying to convince me even those of us with skeletons don't have to be controlled by them. And you were as right then as you are now.

"You've always shown me that even though I was told I'd do nothing but bad I'm still capable of great good, that I shouldn't feel guilty for things that aren't my fault and that I don't do good things because I'm an evil person pretending to be something I'm not, but because I'm a good person trying to prevent evil. Even when I bared my most ugly side you still found me beautiful and even in my darkest hours you still believed in me, still were there for me. When you needed luck you gave it to me and when something made you happy, Azar knows you tried to force that happiness onto me. You put so much faith in me and save none for yourself. Now tell me, why is it that you can see all that virtue in me, but not in you? It's right there, Beast Boy, right there! Just look."

"I'm hurting everyone whose near me, Rae, whether I mean to or not," he whispered, engulfing her hand in his and pulling it from his face. As if he were too dirty to be touched, or too afraid. "And if I'm wrong, if I pick the wrong side, even people I've never met are going to suffer. I could kill everyone in an instant. Do you know what that's like?" His voice was high, thin, self loathing. She hesitated for a moment, considering his question. Looking for the right thing to say.

"Yes," Raven answered honestly. "Yes, I know what it's like. To be caught in between, one half wants this and the other its opposite. To know that just by being there you're putting everything at risk. To have the power to end it all, but fear what that means. I understand guilt, power, responsibility, confinement. I understand what it feels like to have no choice but to be called traitor by someone." He looked at her with those big, fearful, innocent green eyes, so much like a child and yet so miserably aware of the world's reality.

"What do you do?" She looked at him analytically, eyes hard and voice steady.

"You get up. You pick a side. You move 're a hero, Garfield Mark Logan, whether you meant to be one or not, and beyond that a human being like the rest of us. Push aside all the words and politics you have only one duty to betray: your duty to do what you know is right no matter what. Sometimes you'll need to talk to people to figure out what that is, sometimes you'll just know it."

"What if I don't know what's right? What if everyone I talk to tells me something different?" She gave him an ironic grin and shrugged.

"You take your best guess." He snorted at that, staring down at her with a weak, but nonetheless honest, trademarked Beast Boy smile.

"My best guess, huh?"

"Preferably your best correct guess. But that's not for me or Zinara or anybody else to decide. Just do what you have to do."

An intimate moment of silence passed between the two like holding someone close without touching them. "Thanks Rae." She gave him a smile, tiny, more in the eyes than the lips, yet a smile nonetheless. But the pressure of a ticking clock is enough to shatter anything and all too soon Raven felt the urgency of her mission again.

"Now, about that wall," she said cautiously in her best diplomatic monotone.

"I knew it," he moaned, hands fastening behind his head as he stared imploringly up at the ceiling. "I knew that was coming."

"Beast Boy, we all have our charge. Help me do mine."

"What if I don't wanna." Playing, teasing. It was a good sign. She shot back.

"Then I'll have to pin you to that wall and beat it out of you just like when you try to hide my extra shoes." He laughed openly and richly at that for a couple of seconds, then sobered up and gave her a very serious look.

"You're going with Robin, aren't you. You're going to try and stop Zinara."

"It's the right thing to do."

"And me?"

"If you side with her, we'll be enemies, no matter what we think or feel. There's no way around it."

"There is one way, you know."

"Not an option."

"All right." He paused for a minute, licking his lips and thinking intensely. Raven folded her arms, setting her feet slightly apart. "Before I do anything," he started hesitantly, fidgeting nervously with a shredded glove. "You have to promise me something."

"I've been making a lot of promises to you these past few weeks, haven't I."

"Raven, this is serious. You have to promise that the instant I'm done or it looks like I'm... not quite me anymore you're going to teleport out of here and into the living room."

"Why?" It wasn't a suspicious question, she just genuinely didn't understand what he was trying to communicate.

"Because the things I'm going to tell you aren't common knowledge. Because Zinara wouldn't want you or the Team to know them and that means He doesn't either. Because up 'till now I've been able to stop him from hurting you but I don't know if I can control myself much longer. Because if you don't get this stuff to the Team, the Titans will fail to stop Zinara and the world will be split. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise?" Do you promise to abandon me?

"...Yes."

**End Note: A beat in drama is used to indicate a pause, but I put it up there for the double effect. Let's all tell Kilarra she's clever, ok? ^^**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Here I am again. I've discovered two very important things while up here at college. One, I really **_**can **_**only write when I'm alone. Two, I'm almost never alone. Except on the toilet or in the shower and even then people can just walk in. But we're figuring it out, slowly but surely. I have a 4.0, so there's a plus. You probably don't care too much but at least it shows I've not just been sitting around doing nothing. On the bright side, we're almost there. This, another chapter, maybe an epilogue, then we're finished! Ya! Then we get started with something new with probably similar themes, but I could attempt another direction. If you have opinions, let me hear them. Next story's looking to be on the dark side, but it plays nicely in my head. Abyway, after a year of waiting, here's chapter 18 to anyone who's still there! You people are wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: I remain unsuccessful in my attempt to own anything… We'll get there eventually.

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He'd done the right thing. Facts were facts and that was a fact. The world was in danger and when the world is in danger heroes do what it takes to save it. Sometimes that meant slaying dragons or ogres and sometimes it meant solving deadly riddles. He was a hero and Zinara a deadly riddle if ever he'd seen one. It was his duty, to himself and the universe, to solve what she was planning, how she was planning to do it, and why. So he'd gone and asked, gotten the answers they needed, and brought them closer to success. It was the right thing to do. So then why was he sneaking around like the ground was covered win eggshells and the Stasi was after him? If he'd done the right thing then why did he feel so guilty? Why did he find himself hoping against all reason that the tremors that had shot through the Tower like a cold shiver had only been felt by himself and Zinara? What was he so afraid of?

The door to their living room slid open, causing Robin to flinch at the sound and hesitate at the threshold. The room was dark, darker than usual. Like a starless new moon. It took him a minute to realize that the silver night-light wasn't absent, just being blocked and filtered by the same, grey film that had separated the Safe Room. The Tower was growing some new, coiling appendages out from its stem. No, growing wasn't quite the right term for it; the floor of the room sloped towards the spirals' base like water pulled into a cyclone. The Tower was shifting, pulling matter from the existing structure to form its new one. 'Well, that's disturbing,' he thought despairingly, stepping into the room and letting the doors close again. 'At least it can't get any worse from here.' The lights flooded the room, blinding and disorienting him for an instant, then settling as a fine powder of sulfur ash over the one thing that could have made his day any more awful. There sitting on the back of the couch, legs crossed, hand holding up the rooms general remote, face blank, eyes focused right on him, was Starfire. And she was so far past angry it was terrifying. There is no deadlier riddle than woman, and She cannot be solved.

"Hello Robin," Starfire said icily, mouth barely moving, eyes unblinking. "I trust you have been very productive since I politely asked you to sleep."

"Star, let me explain," he said submissively, holding up his hands like they could defend him.

"There is nothing to be explained. I asked you to sleep and you did not. I asked you not to talk to our prisoner until morning when we could all assist and you disregarded my request."

"I didn't mean to ignore you or make you feel like I don't care about-"

"Oh, so you did not intend to forsake what I told you to do for what I told you not to do?" She'd either developed a taste for the human female trait of verbal mockery or was honestly trying to lift him out of the hot water. Robin couldn't tell. "You were coerced?"

"Well, no, that's not what I mean, I-"

"Do not try to confuse me with you human idioms!" She brought the remote control down onto the edge of the couch forcefully. Cyborg had specifically designed their couch to withstand the great impact of Titans playing video games and to maximize "durability, cushiness, and style", so it was a pretty sturdy work of art. Starfire's hand left a half-foot dent in the titanium frame, ripped the red over cover, spilled the fluffy white stuffing, and crushed the remote into two pieces. They clattered to the floor as Robin flinched and the lights flickered. Her face remained impassive. "If you are unable to say what you mean, then perhaps you should refrain from saying anything at all."

A 'Yes ma'am' tugged at his throat, but he held it in. "Starfire," he tried gently, like trying to calm a raging mare. "I'm not trying to confuse you, and I understand what you're saying-"

"So you did not understand me before? Was there a flaw in my English?"

"No, no your English is fine. I understood you."

"No, you did not!" She got to her feet, landing hard on the ground, but not daring to move any closer to him for fear of what she would do. "You did not understand because if you had understood my request you would not have done this!" Robin looked away, ashamed. The casualties of our actions are never who we'd like nor whom we intended. Her voice was trembling with either rage or tears when she spoke again, but Robin couldn't bring himself to look at her long enough to figure out which. "You would not have ignored my feelings if you had understood what they are. You would have waited for us and you would have been safe."

Robin looked up at her hesitantly, her pinched lips and bagged eyes inflicting more pain than any blow she could deal. He made a motion as if to move forward. With a look she held him at bay. "I didn't realize-"

"No you did not," she cut, still not moving her gaze. He felt like an ant trapped under a magnifying glass in the sun, slowly being burned away by her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You did not understand. You were stupid. Untrustworthy." He almost winced, almost leapt to his own defense. That _would_ have been stupid, stupider than neglecting her in the first place. Robin was clearly in the wrong, his only hope was to apologize and pray for redemption.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said earnestly, still not moving from the door.

"Not that you talked to the siren before we were ready?" He couldn't bring himself to respond to that one. In his mind he had done the right thing and the fact that the Tower had broken before he'd finished the interrogation only justified this belief. Things had been set in motion, things they needed to stop, needed to comprehend. If Starfire thought that was wrong then she was right, he didn't understand, nor could he. Justice has no emotional ties; it is unbound by love or loyalty. Sometimes, in order to attain it, one has to cast off those ties too. What he'd done in talking to Zinara may have been insensitive, stupid, maybe even cruel and irrational, but it wasn't wrong so he couldn't be sorry. Starfire saw it in his eyes and let out a sigh, relaxing her shoulders. "Are all human males so contradictory?"

"Just the arrogant pigs."

Robin jumped about a foot in the air, spun wildly trying to locate the voice and find his belt at the same time. Over in the kitchen area, leaning casually against the cabinets, watching the entire interchange with a disappointed look, was Cyborg. "Sleep loss made you dull, man," he said calmly. "Should've listened to your girlfriend."

"How long have you been here," he demanded, embarrassed both by the fact that his private spat was, in fact, quite public and that he'd failed to notice the giant, glowing, blue cyborg until he'd spoken. So much for the superiority of trained senses and a disciplined mind.

"Since a little before Starfire came storming in here to wait for you a couple hours ago," he answered indifferently. "Bad move, man, seriously bad move. If you'd really thought that starting a few hours earlier was that important, you could have come and gotten us! We could have interrogated the harpy together! But _you_ had to go it alone. You _**always**_ have to go it alone."

"Ummm, she's half siren. Not a harpy."

"_I know that._ It's called me trying not to swear."

"I thought you were asleep."

"Yeah, Rob, like I'm gonna get more than a few hours sleep while my best friend sits in our interrogation room 'cause he's possessed or something? You really are certifiable."

"Look, I didn't want to disturb you guys, ok? You're under enough stress and deserved a few hours of peace and quiet."

"Whatever. We all know that's not why you left us out of the loop."

"You're my friends. It's perfectly natural for me to want to let-" Starfire grabbed the couch with one hand and sent it flying across the room. It crashed into the wall between the boys, shaking the Tower again and spraying them all with cement dust.

"That is not natural," she shouted, fully extending her arm towards the new spires protruding from the Tower. "It is not natural for friends to fight friends. It is not natural people to hear things or for someone to not be himself. It is not natural for women to come out of men's chests or for stones to become flesh or for buildings to grow or teammates to ignore each other! None of this is natural! It is dangerous."

"Starfire," Robin said, voice strained and eyes looking at an undeterminable location. "We don't have time for this!"

"We will make the time! We must solve our problems before we attempt to stop anything."

"Yeah! Robin, you need to-"

"You stop talking!" Cyborg fell silent, eyebrow raising in restrained indignation. "If we hope to fight the siren then we must stop fighting each other. She is a danger unlike anything we have fought. We do not know what she can and cannot do, why she does what she does, or if she can disfigure us as she's disfigured Beast Boy. We do not even understand how she exists yet you hope to defeat her. Robin, it was foolish for you to seek her alone. What if she had attacked you? What if she had done something you did not anticipate? What if you had underestimated her and she was able to use your body as she uses Beast Boy's?" Robin opened his mouth to make his own case, but she raised a hand and continued. "She knows more about us than we do about her, you wanted to 'even to odds', I believe is the phrase. These things I know. It was still foolish. You put yourself in danger, danger you would not allow us to protect you from. Can you not understand we were worried? Do you not know we cannot afford to loose anyone else to her? We are not such frail creatures that we cannot fight for our friends, Cyborg and I, but what would our Team do without you? Or worse, fighting both you and Beast Boy. You should have come for us first. You should have trusted us, Robin. It saddens me that you do not."

"Starfire, I do trust you. I trust all of you. It's just..." Robin looked around desperately, trying to find what exactly it was that he meant to say. He couldn't be wrong, he just couldn't, but neither could she. Cyborg gave him an expectant, patronizing look as Starfire's bright eyes shined in anticipation of conflict resolution. He let out a long, pained sigh, dropping his protesting hands in defeat. "You're right," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," pushed Cyborg, cupping one ear with his hand.

"You're right!"

"And?"

"And I shouldn't have gone in there alone."

"And," asked Starfire sweetly, but with an edge that told him 'say the wrong thing and you might just die'.

"And I should have gone to sleep when I was told. And," he continued, preempting them both of them. "If I couldn't sleep I should have talked to you because you would have understood and indulged me like you always do and then we could have all gone as a Team and taken care of it together."

"As things are, we'll just have to make due with the information we insensitive renegades gathered on our own." Everyone jumped at the sound of Raven's voice, each person looking in a different dark corner for the empath. Somehow, she managed to step out from behind all of them, her cloaked figure emerging from a darkness no one could really say hadn't been there the entire time. She tugged her hood into place and moved toward them, seeming to glide instead of walk. "We put it together and we might just stand a chance in saving the world _before_ it ends this time."

"Where have you been," demanded Cyborg, hand over his heart like she'd just dropped a toy spider onto his shoulder. Raven's mouth twisted into something that might have resembled an ironic, guilty grin, her eyes hidden in shadow.

"I've been to see Beast Boy... and Garfield." They were all quiet for a minute, trying to process what she'd said, then gave up and asked her simultaneously.

"Huh?"

"Come again?"

"Please, there is a difference?"

Raven raised her hands, that forsaken, creepy, mockery of a smile still playing on her lips. "We have a lot to discuss and not a lot of time to do it." They all glanced at each other, none quite content with the situation nor able to truly believe it was anything but neglectful to continue dealing with personal issues until after the present crisis had passed. If it passed.

"Then by all means," said Starfire, taking the initiative to walk stiffly past the broken couch and sit down at the kitchen bar. "Let us 'get started'."

* * *

Zinara stood looking out at the blue black of sea-night, pensive. She'd changed from Beast Boy's unflattering green top and shorts into an outfit made from the remnants of her draped prison. Flowing, almost glowing white cloth swept about her body like a steady tide from a golden torque about her neck, similar golden bands fastened just below her shoulder securing sea foam sleeves that slid along her arms and pooled on the floor. Her hair, still long and wild, seemed more in place, gently caressing the contours of her face and neck then spilling down her back. A frail form looked more like a spider's web than twiggy sparrow, thin but impossibly strong and dangerous, as the mismatched avian and human parts folded into one, almost divine entity. Perhaps it was the anticipation of the moment itself, like the tremble of fearful cold just as the dawn pulls all light inside, was responsible for these changes. Much of her current position shouldn't have been possible or seemed discontinuous, but then so much of Zinara was discontinuous. It was this impossibility she used to define herself. Am almost smile swelling then receding in her golden eyes; she loved the romance of it.

She surveyed the dark as a painter stares at a blank canvas, seeing what it would become in a vision far more real than anything she could remember. The creator, rain of a new world, standing at the cusp of heaven, wearing the chains of the past as a crown, ready to pour glorious change across the people. Of course, at the cost of her own life, all energy must come from somewhere and only a true God can create life without spending it. However, as much as this price frightened some, it exhilarated Zinara. After all, what nobler, what more virtuous, more romantic and idealistic way was there to die than in the name of true belief? What better way existed to prove how selfless she was being, how pure and honestly good intentioned? Soon her dream would break across the world, bathed in the light of a new dawn and a new life. There was no denying Zinara also found the sheer poetry of it appealing. Finally, the time had come. The stillness before the freedom of chaos. Perfection.

Yet even now something tugged at her, some thorn caught in her flesh binding her to the skeptical. At this point there should have been no fear or regret, no notion other than pure satisfaction. Unadulterated success and bliss. Such was not the case, and it confused her. Her life had reached its zenith, shouldn't that have been enough? That which she had sought for so long, had tied her very being to, was at hand. Shouldn't she have felt... certain? But no, she wasn't certain. She wasn't sure or confident or anything she thought she'd be. No, the feeling in her gut was one she'd sworn to forget, one she had refused to feel since setting out on this quest lifetimes ago. Fear. Why? The black gazed back, unwilling to yield its answers.

Garfield stared at her from behind, leaning against a coiled shell of a pillar, arms folded. Unlike her, he felt nothing. No anxiety, no restraint, no second thoughts. For him this was just the first of many a radical and dangerous steps toward his ultimate goal. A goal she couldn't understand, nor wanted to. Perhaps that was what frightened her. She who had planned and lived this life was no longer steadfast and he who wanted it solely for his own gain was sure. A monster, as Robin had called him. Garfield was no monster, he was just free. Free and innocent, able to both help and remain faultless. Zinara had offered him that and he'd accepted... all of him had accepted. That was all there was to it. Robin was understandably worried and to manipulate her into inaction he'd made up stories and lies. To believe otherwise was to admit that she was on the cusp not of genesis but of genocide. All her efforts to make the world better for everyone had brought nothing but pain and what she thought to be the climax of achievement was merely a façade for world destruction. She couldn't do that. Couldn't continue existing forever with no purpose or worse, to serve as an example of the redeemed villain who'd turned from devastation at the last minute. Zinara wasn't evil and she had no evil intentions. Garfield though... Was Robin right about Garfield? If he was... then...

"You're awfully quiet," his low voice observed, almost startling her though she was aware of his presence. "Savoring the moment?"

"Yes, in my own way," she answered, turning to peer over her shoulder. Zinara had little experience with what could be called physical attractions or handsome men, but in the shadow and grey light, clothing rugged and features set, eyes intense, she couldn't help but feel girlish. Here was her knight in shinning armor, as the idiom goes, the man who'd rescued her, who'd listened to her, trusted her and shown her kindness. Her mind had shown her much more, things they could do together once the quest was complete, happily ever after past the sunset if she dared believe. If nothing else, he could miss her when she'd martyred herself and tell tales of her strength. In her prison these dreams as much as if not more than those of final success, pulled her through. Just looking at him steeled her resolve, living proof neither she nor he should ever be condemned for being different. He couldn't be evil. "And you? What are you doing in these final hours?"

"Planning for what's next." Short, emotionless, but in Zinara's ears it rang full of promises. She shook a loose lock of dusty brown hair out of her face and turned towards him, smiling coyly.

"You never make plans. What are you really doing?"

"Beast Boy never makes plans," Garfield corrected, his mouth twisting in an empty mirror of hers. "I'm not him."

"What do you mean by that? Of course you are. The Half-Heart doesn't _change_ things, Garfield; it just splits them up. You know that."

"Yes, I know that. I also know what happens after. I know what happens to the original." Zinara turned back to the window sharply, her smile faltering.

"Well aren't you the clever one," she hissed playfully, though it came out sharper than she'd intended. "Shouldn't you be congratulating me right now? I am on the brink of Utopia, one I've worked for my entire life. I'm about to make everyone's lives better and you're off making plans."

"You think you'll make their lives better?"

"I made yours better." There was a low chuckle like a growl.

"That you did. Before I was just a little voice in the back of his head, a little ignored voice I might add. Now I'm out in the big bad world ready to do some damage."

"You make it sound so…"

"I'm not him, Zinara, and I never was."

"But I did you a favor, right?"

"Me? Yeah, you did me a huge favor. Gave me a life really." Zinara smiled to herself, fingering the neck of her dress thoughtfully. He straightened and moved behind her, shifting maybe. She didn't look to see. "Beast Boy though," he said conversationally, his voice much closer now. "Maybe not so much as far as he's concerned." Her breath caught like he'd hit her, her lips parting in speechless shock. "Why do you care? What's the sudden interest, Zinara? You've never wondered about this kind of thing before."

"It's just…" she started hesitantly. In all truth she was a little embarrassed about her insecurities, but if she couldn't share that with Garfield, then it would just stay locked up inside her, souring her victory. She didn't have anyone else to turn to nor would she let her destiny be tainted by a silly thing like fear. "Robin came to speak with me before it started."

"Ah, Robin. So the Boy Wonder has a name now," Garfield mocked, picking up a lock of her hair and twisting it.

"He said things… about you, about our plan. Bad things."

"And you believe him?"

"No! No, I don't."

"Then what's the hold up?"

"I just…" There was something in his voice, a careless, cold edge that made her pause. Something that made her feel cautious. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled it gently back, exposing her throat. "Garfield! What are you-"

"I can smell your fear," he said mildly, pressing his nose to her skull. "Now be honest with me, Zinara. What's got you worked up into such a tight little stress ball on your big night? It's not stage fright, is it?"

"Let go of me," she bit, clawing at his hand and pushing him away. He let go and backed up, grinning sadistically. "What do you think you're dong?"

"Reminding you of your purpose. You have one reason in this world and I think that if you have any _issues_ that might hold you back you should resolve them _now_."

"What's gotten into you? You never used to be like this." Garfield gave her a long, disdainful look.

"I've always been like this. Whenever he's needed me I've always done what it takes to ensure his survival. But he's always been frail, weak. He lets himself be hurt. Sometimes I think he even seeks it out. This world is too dangerous for him; you know that as well as I do." Zinara flashed a fierce look in his direction, then, clenching her jaw, turned away to pout. Garfield gave a snort, reaching out to caress her hair. She didn't respond. "It's too dangerous for all of us. Zinara, don't tell me you've forgotten that? Don't tell me this new time has tricked you." She shifted uncomfortably, still refusing to look at him. He grinned, reaching down to clasp her avian hands, bringing his chin over her shoulder. "It's the same world."

"I know that."

"Maybe rationally. But you've met your first human since you last tried this. Robin is tricky and very good at what he does. He's a predator and people like you and me are his prey. Anyone the humans perceive to be unacceptably different is his prey."

"He's doing what he thinks is right. I can't fault him for that."

"You can when he's wrong."

"What if he's not wrong!" Zinara flinched at the truthful ring in her own voice and pulled away. For an instant she stared into Garfield's eyes, then, ashamed, looked away. "I'm scared, Garfield," she said with a gulp. "I'm afraid of the possibility that Robin's right." Garfield sighed, patronizing her.

"Did he offer any proof?"

"He offered you. He said I'd turned you into a monster. That I'd made you do things you would never have done without me." Her voice trembled just a little and her owlish eyes swung up to meet his pleadingly. Garfield snorted, amused.

"I am a monster. By letting me out you did push Beast Boy into a style of life he'd barely perused in his worst nightmares. The guilt is unimaginable, something you can sympathize with, I assume."

"If that's true then why would you have me keep going! Why would you tell me to do to this entire world what I've done to you!"

"Because it's necessary!" He grabbed her arms roughly, bringing her close to his face. For a moment he stared at her intently, eyes burning with an animalistic drive she'd never seen before. Then he relaxed, slackening his grip and rubbing her bare shoulders with his thumbs soothingly. "Pain is a part of change and if the new is to emerge some of the old must fade away. Both Beast Boy and I knew that when we chose to help you, and we did _choose_ to help you. We're going to create a world without pain, you and I. Things may seem dark now but…" He raised one hand and brushed its back across her cheek, smiling manipulatively. "It's always darkest before dawn."


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Other Note: So I got this all ready to go, wrote the below note, preformed my ritual final read, and decided I didn't like it. So I went through, despite my summer physics class and family trip, and reworked it a bit. Better late and satisfactory than quick and lousy, right? So, from the expensive Internet connection of Scheveningen, Holland, I give you Chapter 19! **

**Author's Note: I was going to go ahead and finish it up here, but then a couple things happened. First, it ended up being too long for me to tack any sort of well-done conclusion onto the end and still have less than 15 pages. Second, Starfire and Cyborg have been rather neglected and I didn't want to distract from their moments of expression any more than I'd already done. And third, 20 is just such a nice number. You've got the only even prime, 2, and that wonderful base of the metric system 10. You can double the lower factor and half the higher one and get the next set of factors until the consecutive 4, and 5 (1,2,4,5,10,20). It's just a very nice number. Besides, this guy has just been sitting on my hard drive for months while my Internet connection played hard-to-get. It's still playing hard-to-get, but for the moment I've got the system figured out. So I finished him up and popped him on-line before conditions could change. So here we go, not a lot of action, but it's not all about the action, is it. I hope there is enjoyment! Already working on the final. **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but the story and Zinara, if you call that ownership. No profit is being made nor copyright infringement intended. Have a lovely day.**

* * *

"The most important thing is that she's insecure. She's not sure how this is going to end and that's something we can use," Robin finished, curling his hand into a fist on the counter top for emphasis. He'd intended to be dramatic. He'd hoped his speech would rally the troops somehow. Create some kind of motivation or sense of urgency. Maybe push them into action as his briefings tended to do. He'd failed. Much to his dissatisfaction, nothing of the sort happened. Starfire sat across from him, elbows resting on her knees, chin held in her hands. Her eyes were downcast. Cyborg was leaning against the wall next to her, staring straight ahead, jaw jutting forward just slightly as anger smoldered in his eyes. Raven just looked passive, standing at the end of the counter with her arms folded. She hadn't said a word the entire time he'd been explaining his talk with Zinara and continued to remain silent, her face shadowed by her hood. Robin deflated somewhat. "Aaaand that's all I learned," he prodded, encouraging some kind of response out of his teammates.

"It is sad," muttered Starfire, not looking up. "This is all just sad." There was a moment of pained silence.

"No," said Cyborg, frowning deeply. "No, this is just messed up."

"Cyborg, her father-"

"Betrayed her and died. So did mine." Starfire gave him a shocked, hurt look, but he just met her gaze coldly, angry beyond words. "You think I volunteered for this?" He gestured to his metallic body and scoffed. "Don't kid yourself. Thousands of people have crap fathers and thousands suffer for it. That doesn't make you a psycho. That doesn't give you delusions of grandeur or make you think it's okay to destroy the world order as we know it." Starfire's face changed, hardening as she gave him a fierce look.

"Your world order has caused this person terrible pain for no reason other than the fact that she is different! Zinara has every right to be angry." Cyborg let out a bitter laugh.

"Oh, I get it. You get to judge because there's no discrimination on Tameran. Everyone's just hunkey-dorey, is that it?"

"That is not what I meant to-"

"Well here on Earth things aren't perfect yet; life sucks for most people. Everyone is judged more for what they look like than who they are. Zinara can join the freakin' club! So you sit around and write depressing poetry or you do something about it. You go out every day and try to make it better!"

"That is all Zinara wants! She is willing to die for it. She plans to sacrifice her life to make a better world for everyone. How can we fault her for that?"

"Star, she's not being noble or self-sacrificing, whatever she tells herself. It's a cowards way out." Starfire opened her mouth to protest, but Cyborg straightened and held up his hand, silencing her with a glare. "She's going to make this radical change and die before anyone has time to react. It may seem like martyrdom, but all she's doing is dodging the consequences. No matter what happens, no matter if her plan works or kills everyone, she'll never have to face the repercussions of her actions. She doesn't want to change the world; she wants to leave a dent. It's a cowards way out." There was another sustained silence as the two Titans watched each other. "Doesn't matter any way," Cyborg scoffed with a shrug.

"I think it matters a great deal."

"Even if the siren was the most noble, well intentioned, divine savior since Jesus, which she's not, it wouldn't change the outcome. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be rearranged. Same with energy. First Law of Thermodynamics. The universe and everything in it tends towards disorder and either the system or the surroundings must increase in chaos for any reaction to occur. Second Law of Thermodynamics. Even if this whole creating two self sustaining worlds from one were possible, both would die any way." Cyborg looked right at Starfire, his eyes like ice. She shrank from his gaze.

"Each planet requires X conditions to function, X amount of order, and the two new ones will need the same environment as the original. Even if they both survived the physical shock of being torn in half and somehow the thousands of ecosystems which were smashed to pieces by the division of the biosphere patched themselves back together, it wouldn't stay that way for long. The world has a certain carrying capacity of life it can support. Without the restrictions of the other half, populations could very easily and very quickly exceed their resources without realizing it. Some will even start off critically overpopulated and there will be no chance to fix it. It'd be like if you threw a party for a hundred people, then realized you only had party favors for fifty. Except the odd fifty out would probably die.

And that's assuming life survives at all when after you've cut into the Earth's core and spilled its insides all over the place. Or after the orbit is thrown off and it either cooks or freezes or crashes into the moon or whatever happens when you put two planets where one should go. Assuming preservation of atmosphere, which is also unlikely. Not to mention the environmental chaos caused by the reorientation of the magnetic poles. I could go on, but I think I've made my point."

"Zinara doesn't know anything about modern science or energy or any of this," said Robin slowly. "She doesn't have any idea what she's doing."

"But the Half-Heart is magical," protested Starfire, trying her best to remain somewhat optimistic.

"Magic doesn't change science. Not this kind of science at any rate," snapped Cyborg. "What are you arguing, anyway? That we should just let it happen?"

"No! No, I merely…" She was no scholar or logician; she couldn't always tell you the difference between justice and vengeance or mistakes and manipulation. But Starfire knew good from evil. Zinara may have done bad, may plan bad things, but she was not herself bad and neither were her reasons. Starfire's nature pulled her to compassion. She would not so easily give up the fight for this girl's character. After all, Beast Boy thought she had a point.

The tower gave another violent shake and the lights went out entirely. Cyborg swore and deployed the light on his right shoulder. It illuminated the circle of agitated faces and he almost apologized. Then he stopped and frowned. His best friend had been turned into an animal puppet, his Tower twisted beyond recognition, and his world pushed to the brink of ending. By some little teen who was having a century long existential crisis. And there was so little he could do about it. He had a right- and _obligation_, to be angry.

"What happened," asked Robin, glancing around as if to say 'I will kill the first person to say the lights went out.'

"Generator only makes enough energy for one tower," said Cyborg edgily, shrugging his shoulders and sending shadows dancing across the walls. "Now we've got two. Whatever power we have left on this side has been routed to keep the defense systems active."

"Starfire, we understand where you're coming from," said Robin soothingly, giving Cyborg a sharp look. He snorted, folding his arms and looking the other way pointedly. "This isn't Slade or the Evil League of Evil we're dealing with. She's just a girl who got the short end of a stick. She's like us in a lot of ways. That doesn't justify what she's planning to do. Even if she doesn't want to hurt any one, she will. Ignorant or not, we have to stop her."

"Yes, I understand. But after?"

"There will not be an after," said Raven coolly, speaking up for the first time and causing everyone to jump. "Not for her anyway." She had a cruel twist to her lips that sent shivers down even Cyborg's spine.

"Raven," protested Starfire as she got up. "You cannot possibly be suggesting-"

"I'm not suggesting anything. This is simply the way things are. Cyborg's right, the Half-Heart is a real object operating within our real universe. Granted, it has abilities that are quite outside the realm of 'naturally possible,' but energy has to come from somewhere. Zinara plans to use her 'being'- her life- to power this little pet project of hers."

"So what, she's gonna kill herself?"

"She will sacrifice herself."

"I don't care what you call it, she's going to die. That's not something we can stop or change. She's making a trade: her life and body for the power to divide. She can choose where to direct that power, but the trade will be made regardless. And she'll take Beast Boy and most of the world population with her if we don't do something about it."

"Raven slow down a bit," said Robin hastily, holding up his hands as if to try and calm a raging mare, though Raven was quite still and controlled in her appearance. "Fill us in." The smile fell from her lips and she gave Robin a long, hard stare. "We all need to be on the same page."

"We can't _all_ be on the same page," she snapped. Robin met her eyes expectantly and she set her jaw in self-restraint. "We don't have _time _to be on the same page. It's already started again. The moment she reemerged into our reality the process began again. The Half-Heart is charging and the world is ending and you need to evacuate the city before it falls into the ocean. What Zinara told you can be useful to all of us, but what Beast Boy told me-"

Robin took two steps to her side and put a solitary, secure hand on her shoulder. Raven didn't pull away, but she didn't relax either. There was a short pause during which his eyes avidly searched for hers and she stubbornly avoided him, then:

"She's killing him Robin." Her voice was soft, hardly a breath above a whisper, her eyes downcast. Nothing about her suggested anything beyond mild discomfort, but beneath the controlled projection there was a woman in pain. Robin could feel her shaking with fear and rage. "Not physically, but the longer that thing he's become stays in control, the harder it is for him to come back. The place where one exists isn't meant to hold two." Violet orbs flickered up to a masked face, brows knit, lips parted slightly. Then, as if she was remembering what had led to their current situation, her face began to reshape. Teeth came together in a snarl as wrath made pleading eyes frigid. "So forgive me if I am just a little anxious to get this all over and done with." Robin responded in turn.

"I know you Raven; if you thought you could get it "over and done with" on your own, you would have. I would have done the same thing. As it is we both know better and I'm telling you that if _we_ want to avert this crisis, we all need as much information as we can. So explain first, then give orders." Raven narrowed her eyes at him and snorted. She wasn't used to Robin being so terse, at least, not to her. A mirthless smile tugged at her lips for a moment then was forgotten.

"Zinara is unique. Her mixed blood gives her powers from both halves and she's mastered them well. The siren's song pulls people in while her human empathy allows her to manipulate them. It's not a direct form of control, like Brother Blood, but she can get inside your head, inside your memories, and be very persuasive. The link is powerful and enduring. It's also limited to one person and that person can choose to resist her if he or she has the desire."

"So Beast Boy is willingly helping her to destroy humanity as we know? Sorry Rae, I'm not buying that."

"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not," she snapped. "It's the truth. It's where the Half-Heart ties in."

"And where did you get this information? Zinara's been sayin' Beast Boy chose this the whole time interspersed between the whole 'humans are evil' thing. Doesn't make it any more true."

"Cyborg, be quiet. Beast Boy's the one who told me all of this." If nothing else, that shocked everyone into silence and Raven continued, speaking quickly. "We all have a dark side, a place where we keep all of our secrets, bitterness, and pain hidden. And in that place we all wonder if any of it is even worth it. We wish we could just go to sleep forever because when you're asleep the world can't hurt you. When you're asleep everything goes away…" She paused for a moment, like she was remembering something sad.

"The Half Heart doesn't just split objects, it splits personalities. They share a body and are aware of each other, but when it comes to thoughts and actions each is an individual. That's the real irony of it all; maybe you can break apart a rock or split a log, but what is essentially one like a person or a planet can never become two. Zinara is aware of its abilities, but not their extent nor aftereffects. She'd never even experimented with it until Beast Boy." Cyborg ground his teeth and breathed angrily through his nose. He was ignored.

"Once she discovered its function she brought it back to her birthplace in Naples and immediately set about trying to make a better world. Like most things magical, the stone requires payment and this offering is what initiates the process. So on the banks of the Mediterranean, on the hill where she was raised, Zinara offered herself and the world began to split. When this attempt to use the Half Heart was interrupted, it merged with her until the process could be completed.

The Greek gods, as they are known, recognized the potential catastrophe and stopped her before anything more than a major earthquake could occur. It claimed her life that day, and in return responds to her thoughts and her will… and it will only work if she is alive. They couldn't kill her due to Dionysus' promise and they couldn't risk her trying again, so they broke the Half Heart, hiding most in a temple by the sea and leaving the rest in her chest. Hence, the half-heart. As both punishment for her actions and insurance against a reoccurrence, they set her adrift in a lavish cell from which she could never hope to reclaim the stone."

"Guess they didn't count on us digging it up and poking it in a museum in the same city as the gullible changeling with crazy sensitive hearing and an annoying need to please."

"Trust me," said Raven bitterly. "It gets even better. The changes that are happening to the Tower are partially due to her desire to separate from us. Mostly, though, they're caused by the fact that when Beast Boy set her free, he made the Half Heart whole again. Not only could she crack the planet now, she's already started. The moment that piece of stone that was on display reunited with its twin through Best Boy, the process started again. The only one who can stop it now is Zinara herself."

"Meaning…"

"Meaning that the stone is charging in a way and, once it reaches capacity, she can either direct that energy outward through the world or inward through herself. Split the world, or split her own body. It's her choice and only she can make it."

Heavy breathing. People swallowing.

"Well…" said Robin, pressing his thumb and forefinger to his temple. "Crap."

"Crap? That's it? That's all you can say? While we've been sitting around debating whether or not the little bird with both the power and intent to destroy the world because she's PMS-ing is actually brazen enough to do it, she's already started! Every second is bringing us closer to the brink of imminent doom and you say crap! Wow, genius; I'm inspired by the poetry of it."

"Do not yell at Robin, he is doing his best! Even as you blow hot air into the room without meaning he is generating a plan that will save us all!"

"Yeah, you are absolutely right Starfire. I should just sit back and let our great leader make all the decisions and tell me what to do, because that's been working out so well! And you know, you've been a fat load of help yourself! As a matter of fact, you guys just seem to have this whole thing under control! I should probably just go order some pizza and see what's on the SyFy channel!"

"Cyborg, you need to calm down."

"No! I'm sick of being calm! I'm sick of sitting back and just letting this happen while _you_ come up with a plan! Being calm is what got us in this mess to begin with! We were calm when we should have been freaking out! We were sensitive and lenient when we should have been sure he was safe. Do you even have any idea how bad this is? Do you even have the slightest notion of what we're dealing with?"

"Yeah, Cyborg, I was here for the exposition too. As a matter of fact, I actually gathered some of it myself."

"Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared; any child can tell you that now a' days. Zinara plans to use her mass to run this thing. So lets say she's 90 lbs. That's 40.823 kg which is about 3.67x1018 J. Convert to exajoules and you get 3.67 EJ. For perspective 1.41 EJ can shift the Earth's axis and alter the length of the day. She has about two and a half times the energy of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake stored in the atoms of her sad excuse for a body. That's not counting the energy in any of the Tower she takes with her… or Beast Boy. I know you don't know the science of it so don't even try and tell me you do. This is _my world_! My planet, my home. That green monster in there, that's _my best friend_! Or it used to be. Now I'm not even sure what he is, let alone who he is. You're our leader, right? Maybe you should have acted like it! You should have let me run more tests. You should have forced us all to work harder and figure out what was wrong. We should have stopped this when it was just dilated capillaries."

"As I recall," chided Robin coldly. "I was the one who was worried and wanted to hold him for observation while it was just dilated capillaries." His voice began to rise steadily with his temper. "I was the one who wanted to keep him safe in the Tower until we knew he was all right. But that was inhumane and cruel at the time. I was being unreasonable and paranoid. Doesn't look like paranoia any more does it?"

Cyborg's human eye widened like Robin had smacked him and he began to open his mouth to retaliate, but Raven cut him off harshly.

"Stop it, all of you! How does squabbling like petty children help anything? How does whose fault it is or what we should have done change the present? You're wasting Beast Boy's time with all your finger pointing." She swept a cruel gaze across each of their faces like an icy wind. "We're all on "the same page" now, I trust, which means the time for learning is over. It's time to act."

"And what would you suggest we do? Reason with her? Seal her back up and set her adrift again?"

"It's gone beyond that and we all know it!"

"Then what? Kill her?"

"If that's what it takes."

"You would have us murder a teenage girl for pursuing a dream? We are the 'good guys,' yes? We _do not kill!_"

"Her teenage dream is going to wipe the entire population and very likely the entire planet from existence! We didn't start this, but we have to finish it. That's why we'rethe Titans, not some fundraising social change group. We can't let some self-righteous ideal get in the way of our duty to protect this world and its people."

"Cy, our ideals are a big part of what separates us from your common vigilante. We can't just caste them aside whenever they're inconvenient. I'm as pissed as you, but-"

"I don't think you are, Rob. I don't think you're even one-tenth as pissed as I am right now."

"Quiet." Raven said coldly, her voice slicing the bickering like a blade through rope, dropping a net of tense silence. The rest of the Team looked at her like she'd just sprouted a tail and cat ears, surprised and almost fearful, but she didn't care. Her jaw was set, chin tilted down, dark, powerful eyes peering our from beneath deceptively delicate brows. "I'll do it. Whatever 'it' is, I'll do it. She can't be reasoned with by some messenger of humanity nor persuaded by arguments of compassion. She can't be killed by gods, humans, or foolish misconceptions. I represent none of those things. I'm half demon. Besides, we all know that I'm the only one she'll allow close enough to do any damage. And I'm the only one who can save Beast Boy, if he's still there to be saved. Don't bother to deny it. We all know it's true; let me go."

"Raven, you can't do this-"

"Don't think for one second that the rest of you would do anything but slow me down. That's all you've done so far," she snapped. Robin physically recoiled. This wasn't just some routine mission- it wasn't even a standard rescue. This wasn't about the city or even about power. It was personal; from the very beginning it had been personal. And now the strain was beginning to show. Raven let out a long sigh and looked away, closing her eyes.

"I'm the only one she trusts, the only one they'll both listen to. I'm a half-breed human, so is she. I have issues with my father, so does she. We've both been scorned for what we are, and we've both wished we could change, one way or the other. Zinara sees herself in me, she thinks I'm the only one who can empathize with her situation. She's probably right. She wants me to sanction her actions. She wants my approval. And she's willing to risk her entire mission for it, especially now you've made her doubt herself. She'll let me in, but only me."

Robin gave her a short, calculated look that lasted an eternity. Raven looked back with equal intensity. 'I have to do this,' he heard her whisper across his thoughts. 'It has to be me.' He snorted, his lips twisting ironically. "What do you want us to do?"

"Start evacuating the city. Whatever happens, Jump will be ground zero. We have to get the civilians out. Between the three of you and the drills we've been conducting it shouldn't take too long. We have an hour or so, but we've pushed it too close to the line anyway." The ensuing silence was taken as consent.

"What will you do?"

"I need to go. I can teleport through her barriers but the walls have rearranged. It'll take me a minute to find a safe place, but after that…"

Robin nodded. "Good luck." Raven returned the gesture with a sharp jerk of her chin and moved towards the door. She couldn't bring herself to meet either Starfire's terrified gaze or Cyborg's smoldering eyes. As she passed between them she paused, reaching out to grip Starfire's hand and clasp Cyborg's shoulder reassuringly. The movement was stiff, but well intentioned.

"I'll bring him back." Then, in a swirl of black energy, she was gone.


End file.
